A Home in the Country
by Soap Box Opera
Summary: AU. Modern. Zelink. Zeldacentric. Ex-musician Zelda of New Hyrule is popular and a great influence among the media, but after receiving news of her grandmothers failing health, she leaves the city to spend time in the country, never expecting that she'd be staying a little longer than planned because of some country bumpkin…
1. A Farewell Sung

_**Chapter One: A Farewell Sung**_

The melody from the piano begins to go into a decrescendo, followed by the orchestra who watches the pianist raise a single hand. The open hand raised high in the air curls tightly and there is dead silence in the room. In the expected rest, the pianist bobs her head slightly in counts before making a loud pentatonic, the orchestra plays their final harmony, the singer in the middle of the crowd belts her last note, all eyes on the pianists now open hand. She moves it up, once, twice, and a third time before closing it into a fist. At the command, the orchestra stops immediately. The pianist carefully stands from her seat, points at the concert master whose hand begins to guide the bow against the strings of his violin for the short closing solo. As he's finishes his piece, he raises his bow and the recording studio is silent. A chorus of heads raise to look at their conductor, the blonde stands tall in front of the crowd with a wide smile and she waits until the red light on top of the door disappears. The room rises in shouts of celebration.

"And that's a wrap." Zelda says loudly, clapping along with everyone. One male from the other side had walked in with bouquets of flowers, handing one to Zelda, another to their red head singer and the last to their concert master, who bows his head in thanks. The clapping and whooping drags until Zelda raises a fist in the air. All the noise dies down, and once again she looks over her shoulder to invite the producers and co-director to come inside the booth. They all stand from their chairs, grinning and laughing as they enter the cramped soundproof room. Glee swell inside their heart as they see Zelda under the soft glow of the light above her. She holds the bouquet close to her chest and waits until everyone is quiet before she closes the well-accomplished meeting.

She scans the room starting from her right, where the directors and producers are. "I want to thank you all for your hard work." Claps fill the room for a short while, eager to hear Zelda continue. "As you all know, I won't be here for a couple of weeks." The crowd awes in disapproval, but smiles continue to show on their faces. "No, really." Zelda smiles back, raising her free hand in hopes of comforting them. "My grandmother had already went through a heart attack. Because of her, she insisted I postpone my visit because she knows how important this is." There is a pause as Zelda fights back tears, staring at all of them intently, her eyes glossing in tears. "I really do want to thank all of you-" Her voice begins to waver as all the pent-up emotions from the past years finally overwhelm her. Flashes of memories creep into her mind as every single face triggered different events. She wipes away a single tear, which earns a heartfelt noise from the crowd. "for encouraging me through such a stressful time." She let out a single chuckle, continuing to quickly wipe her tears before they run past her mascara. One of the co-directors walks up to the blonde to hug her, thus creating a moment where each and everyone in the room had to fight back their own tears.

"You're making everyone cry!" Her co-worker says out loud, earning a chorus of laughter, including Zelda's.

"Continue your great work everyone, and yes, I will bring my phone with me but try not to call." Zelda teases, breaking the tension of sadness and allowing the crowd to laugh. "Remember not to get too drunk at the after party." She says with a giant grin plastered on her face as her friends laugh. "This is not quite done." She winks. "But, once again, thank you for all your hard work and dedication. I guess it's safe to say that I've fallen in love with all of you." She presses a hand against her lips and stretches it out to the crowd.

With one final bow, the crowd starts their cheers. The musicians disperse in the wooden recording room and begin to place their instruments back into their cases. Zelda joins the producers who shower her with compliments and love. Malon, the only red head stands still in the center of it all, unsure of which group to join - the musicians or the backstage crew. Her knees are weak, and she feels faint but tries not to show it by smiling at the many who continue to pat her back and give her words of encouragement and compliments. Without appearing rushed, Malon quickly steps down from the podium, walks out of the room and makes a bee-line for Zelda, lightly pushing others out of her way.

But the sea of people pull Malon deep within the wave and she is forced to watch many bid their goodness towards the blonde who took the time to give them her own lengthy encouragement.

Finally, the crowd is gone and Malon has the courage to say what she needs to. With her flowers held tightly withing her arms, she walks to Zelda. The woman she revers and and is always seen smiling breaks under the growing frown and elevating eyebrows. The blonde lets out a heavy sigh, wiping the sweat from her forehead before leaning over to her work bag. She rearranges her papers before glancing at Malon.

"Something wrong?" Zelda smiles, taking her jacket from the back of the chair and placing it on. At that question, Malon feels an uncomfortable tug in her stomach at the sight of many co-workers. Thoughts of anger, guilt, sadness, fear and worry whisk her away from reality. Fortunately Zelda understands Malon's feelings and doesn't ask anything else until they are in the hallway, away from their co-workers. Zelda then looks over her shoulder and can see Malon taking small steps behind Zelda.

"The management and stuff…" Malon mumbles, slowly raising her head to see confusion on Zelda's face. The blonde has an eyebrow raised in the air, with her mouth slightly open as she tries to find connections with what was just said. When it hits her. Zelda laughs, seeing her young worried self in the place of Malon. Both toiled over the success of their debut album.

"It'll be fine." Zelda stops to place a hand on Malon's shoulder. "Trust me, because I'm the one who hired them and I don't hire people who don't know what they're doing." The redhead is awestruck by how simply Zelda took the uncomfortable situation, embraced it and lightened it. "Remember I'm just a phone call away if anything goes wrong, which I doubt there will be." As they stare into each other eyes, Zelda is compelled to hug her. The girl who was raised in the country is now a grown woman in the city and Zelda couldn't help but feel proud of Malon. Quickly, Zelda pulls back from the hug when she hears a loud _ding_.

"Take care love," Zelda says, giving her one final smile. "Remember that you can still call me!" Zelda twirls on her heel, looking forward before stepping into the elevator. Once she's inside, she turns back to face Malon and gives her a thumbs up as the elevator doors close, leaving the redhead alone to ponder.

123

Zelda's blonde hair bobs up and down as she paces around the parking lot looking for the silver Mercedes-Benz in the sea of similar coloured cars. Finally spotting the boxy vehicle, she unlocks the car with her phone before resting against the white leather seats. Settling in the car and taking her phone, she wires the touch-pad to the car and hits the play button on Queen's _Somebody to Love._

The familiar voices that she had grown up listening to of the song fill the car. Zelda pulls out of the parking lot and waves goodbye to the security guard before joining the sea of automobiles. Tall buildings of glass cover the blue sky above while reflecting the citizens and the road filled cars below. Signs upon signs and flashing lights have now blurred with the many other colourful buildings. Eventually, Zelda is out of Downtown Hyrule and into a highway that she can happily speed on.

Upon the arrival of her home, she can see the crowd of paparazzi's surrounding the front gate. They had gone from being calm and collective to a group of wild dogs willing to step over each other to get near her car. This made her frown, she couldn't move her car because the threat of running over a citizen is highly evident. They begin slamming their palms on her windows to catch her attention and scream her name in a loud chorus.

Stuck in a wave of chaos, the line of guards in suits that block the open entrance are forced to leave their spot and aid the woman who honked the horn in desperation. She stops pressing on her car's wheel once she sees the men in tuxedo's pushing violently through the crowd to get near Zelda. Once they surround her door, she unlocks her car. The guards form a semi-circle around the car door while one opens the door for her. She steps into the tiny space of peace while the one who had opened her door slips into her car.

They are shouting loudly all calling out for her and Zelda is forced to cower under the four men. As gentle as the men where with her, she could feel them being closing in on her as the pressure from the crowd collected their weight and leaned against the guards. Every single gap between the crowd and Zelda was filled with microphones and flashing cameras. They chant her name, hoping she'd respond while the many others ask her questions: "Where is Facade?", "Have you seen him with another girl?", "Is it true he had an affair while you were sick?" or "Are you going off to visit your grandmother?". As tempting as it was to shout back and bite, she holds her tongue and places a mask of no emotion.

Finally inside the safe quarters of her parent's property, she lowers the tension in her shoulders and waits by the side of the road, choosing to ignore the crowd that shouts across the large distance.

Now that Zelda is out of reach and unresponsive, the crashing waves of the crowd begin to settle and gives way to the Mercedes-Benz. This moment of peace allows guard to drive the car through. Once everyone is in, the gates close and Zelda finds herself in the familiar leather seats and quiet atmosphere. Looking at the rear-view mirror, she sees the crowd vanish at top of the hill. She looks out the front window once the back image looses her interest and she can see her home resting at the bottom of the hill, by the lake, surrounded by trees. The car's tires smooth into the stone flooring, and parks near the front guard leaves first to open the door for Zelda. She thanks him quickly before jogging up the short stairs and through the double doors.

A large chow chow nearly causes Zelda to fall abruptly as he leans his large body on the woman. His front paws are on her shoulders, he continues to barks loudly and his tail wags. Zelda places her hands under his legs and begins to lead him to the ground. "Simba, Simba!" She chants his name as she rubs his stomach. Once she sees Rosie, one of the maids that had worked for the Nohansen family for as long as Zelda could remember, she stands and leaves Simba on his back and greets her.

"Where's the family?" Zelda asks Rosie. In response the older woman points behind her shoulder and Zelda follows her directions to stare at her right where the kitchen is. "Thanks." Zelda says, walking there as Simba follows behind quietly.

Taking a deep breathe, Zelda hears many voices that echo in the grand home, one, she hadn't expected – Jeff's voice, her older brother. He is supposed to be with their grandmother. Raising her sunglasses on top of her head, she enters the kitchen where the voices grow louder and eventually she sees her family. Her brother is seated on a stool by the island and her mother and father stand side by side talking to him. Her parent's look worried and she nearly looses breath as negative thoughts flood into her head.

"Am I too late?" Zelda's voice interrupts the family's conversation, her brother stands slowly.

"Zelda…" He says softly.

"What happened to nana? Did she-?"

"No-no," Jeff quickly says, shaking his head. He runs a hand through his brown curly hair and smiles. "It's not like that." He looks to his right, gaining approval from his parents who nod. "Jennifer's aunt had passed away from breast cancer." He says, referring to his girlfriend since collage, he is 27. "I had to be with her, and I." He sighs, losing his smile and his eyes glossed. "You know that the chances of cancer can increase if someone has had it in the family before. She finally had the courage to get a check… they found cancer… but it's in the early stage." Zelda raises her hand near her mouth and she could feel her eyes sting with the new found tears. She wasn't that close to Jennifer because she'd often become quiet around family dinners and Zelda had a hard time bringing up topics they could both talk about. Often, it was her digging in to Zelda's life which made the conversation awkward and soon end in silence.

"Goddess, I'm so sorry." Zelda says softly, her voice crackling as it comes out in a whisper. The thought of Jeff loosing someone like Jennifer pained her. Jennifer had changed Jeff for the better and he had brought her out of her own quiet shell. They had been in a relationship for six years and have known each other for nine years.

"It's fine, it's good we caught it in time. I need to be with her." After all, they had been inseparable and she wondered if Jeff had taken the ring he had bought so long ago and had finally asked the question.

"Of course." She says, rushing to be by him before they hug each other. She squeezes him as hard as she could but eventually let go. "Death feels so close." She whispers, her hands still on her brother's waist. There is a moment of silent reflecting before their mother approaches her son and daughter with a box of tissues. Zelda chuckles softly, taking one and thanking her mother.

"Well," Dalta says, catching their attention while she placed the box back onto the island. "I hate to break this moment but Zelda, we have to get you to Forest Haven before sunset."

"Oh yes," Zelda sniffles, walking over to the trashcan to throw her used tissue in.

"Everything is in your green car and Impa is just getting changed. You should too dear." Zelda nods, exiting the kitchen and jogging up the swirled staircase. Stepping into her giant room, she enters her walk in closet and sees the outfit she had planned rested on the center seat.

123

Zelda walks down the stairs with a giant smile plastered on her face. She had covered her eyebrows with dark powder and had worn a black wig, tied in a ponytail. Her blue eyes are also covered with dark brown contacts. Seated on her head, is a pair of cheap sunglasses. She had dressed as a teenager by wearing a sweater, short shorts and a pair of flats. "Ehyo Impa." She tries to hold back her laugh upon seeing her longtime friend and guard dressed like her. Impa only acknowledgment of Zelda's presence was a short glance before crossing her arms. She didn't even crack a smile as Jeff told them a joke.

Zelda came down to play with Impa's blonde wig. "And wow, those look like my eyes." Referring to the blue contacts. "And I can't believe I'm seeing you in girly clothing!" She points at the floral top with a coral blazer.

"This isn't your first time." Impa grumbles. Moments like these reminded Zelda of her youth when Impa dressed as Zelda in front of a pushy crowd while Zelda was across the street wearing pedestrian clothing, giggling at her sense of freedom.

"I know. I just like teasing you." She giggles, "But thanks for doing this." She pecks Impa's cheek before linking arms with her.

"Zelda and Impa." Her mother calls out, and the two in disguise both looked at the tiny lady. "It's already 1 o'clock, the sun is going to set any minute!" Dalta pouts, waving at the two to follow her to the garage. Walking past a row of expensive cars, near the garage exit is a green beetle car, suitcases stalked on top and the back truck is roped down. Beside the small car is the familiar Mercedes-Bens, the back seats covered with suitcases.

"Oh geez, I hope this works." Zelda whispers, letting go of Impa's arm. Impa had bid them a short farewell before driving off with the Mercedez-Bens. They watch the car disappear before Zelda turns around to bid her farewell to Jeff, Dalta, her father, Daphnes and precious Simba.

Each one shares their own moment with Zelda before Daphnes ends the goodbyes.

"We'll visit soon." The rough deep voice touches his daughter's ear. "We'll come as soon as this bill is dealt with. Tell ma that her son didn't forget about her." He smiles, kissing his daughter's cheeks before allowing her to leave his large arms.

"I'll tell her every day until you come by." Zelda says, waving goodbye to the four as she enters the beetle. Zelda drives up the slope and sees that the group of paparazzi's from earlier had disappeared except for two or three who continue to wait.

As they notice the unfamiliar green car, their cameras rapidly click. When Zelda is out the gate, they begin to tap the glass on her car and she stops. She rolls down her window while greeting the men. "Hello!" She smiles, talking higher and forcing all the air to come out through her nose so she'd sound different.

"Do you know where Zelda had gone off to?" One man asks, the tip of his pen already touching his notebook.

"She's off visiting her grandmother but I'm not allowed to tell you were. It is a special request from the family, it's a time of grieving because she is dying and all they want is rest." She watches the man write that down before he asks another.

"What's your name and relation to the Nohansen family?" Zelda takes a deep breath, trying to remember what she had said her name would be.

"Marie." She settles with, after all, a lot of girls are named Marie. "I am a maid working for them but I'm off to cross the border to see my family down in Termina." In this moment of silence, she can hear his pen scratch loudly against the paper. Before he opens his mouth to ask another question Zelda interrupts him. "If you don't mind, I'd like to catch a motel before nightfall." The man nods, thanking her half-heartedly before stepping back. Zelda presses the gas and turns south, opposite of where Forest Haven is. Once she is a decent block away from her home, she takes another route that leads her north.

Miles away from Hyrule, commercial buildings are now out of sight. Houses are separated by large lands of trees, grass and water. The concrete begin to disappear as the beetle find its tires on top of dry dirt in place of the concrete. Zelda begin to tap her hand against the steering wheel in correspond to the beat of _Home _by Philip Philips as it was now playing on the radio. After it repeats, she soon got into the song and began to sing loudly.

With one hand, she pulls off her wig and takes the cap off of her head, allowing her blonde hair to catch the fast wind from the open window. She throws the wig behind her, and rests a hand out the window.

She drives past the familiar landmarks of her childhood, she smiles; knowing she is getting closer to the land her family had escaped to when she was small. She could see the pancake factory, the familiar waterfront, the walking trail entrance, and the abandoned dinosaur park.

Now on an open field, there is an wide display of the sky that begins to turn orange as the sun began to set. Zelda presses harder on the gas pedal. The speed increases, knowing well that she had just a few miles left before it is Forest Haven. Her skin felt uncomfortable in the seat. her legs stung at the lack of activity, and the inside of her car felt moist. She had ignored the last landmark's washroom, figuring she'd beat the sun but fate had other plans for her. The green beetle went over a large bump. Her bottom leaves the chair but her seat belt keeps her down. The beetle makes a loud noise as it hits the ground. "No!" She says, feeling her car swerve out of control and is forced to pull her car to the side. She takes her phone and steps outside.

The sun is now rested and the stars begin to dance high in the sky, while the rare clouds float in front of the moon. Zelda walks around her car and inspects the poor Volkswagen. The right back tire had ripped off the rim. "Not bad, good thing I came prepared." She opens the back trunk, pushing aside some of her suitcases before she sees the toolbox. She closes the back and takes the extra tire attached to the back of her car. Rolling it down, she puts the leaver below her car and raised it high.

Spending a few minutes replacing it, she walks off, feeling accomplished. Once she closes the back trunk but notices her car leaning down on the back left wheel. She kneels to examine it and notices that it had gone flat. Panic invades her body, starting from her stomach and making its way up. She takes her phone, and starts to dial her family but she's answered with an automatic message stating that she is out of reception. "No, no, no." She repeats, placing a hand on her head. "This can't be happening." She raises her hand high, hoping the bars on her phone would increase but it remains low. "Alright…" She places her phone down and looks around her, an open land of grass. At the end of the open field is a small farm shed that remains unlit.

She looks at the time on her phone, it is 9 o'clock. Her mother had told her to be at her grandmothers before 10 o'clock but in the middle of nowhere with no reception, she is forced to wait. Settling inside the seat, she lowers the back of the driver's seat as far as she can, which isn't all that far because the suitcases in the back prevent it. Grumbling and cursing under her breath, she raises her legs onto the dash board. She locks all doors and raises the window until it almost touches the top. Shifting into a comfortable position, she lay still and stares at ceiling of her car. Her mind raced with thoughts and imaginative solutions until her eyes began to close on their own.

* * *

This is the first story I've posted on this site! Please be as critical as you need to be, I'd love to improve. :) I've had this idea in my head for a very long time now... I just never written it down. Hopefully I don't procrastinate because I can get fairly busy in real life with school, as I begin transitioning into university! :( Scary world. But yes, review if you'd like! Cheers and God Bless. :D

**I merged Chapter One and Two together. Made changes with tenses and added more information.**

Oh no, what will happen to Zelda? Dum dum dum… At least she's out of the city and in the country.

Yes, Zelda has a brother, I did my research. (In the other universe she did, and he's evil because he can't stand not being able to control power like Zelda can). So, in my story, they had a rough past but he matured and they came to love each other as family should.

And yes Facade is also a real character, he is called Prince Facade - Check him out at Zelda Wikia.

And don't worry, she will meet Link in the next chapter! I had that part in but was 4000 words? So I cut it in half. I wanted this chapter to end with her meeting Link but it was too long so instead you get this ending. :)

And yes, I changed Zelda's hair colour. In chapter one, she is a brunette but I made it so she's a blonde... I imagine her composing with brown hair but out of that, I image her as a blonde. And because I'm Canadian, colour is colour not color.

I highly recommend that you listen to the same songs she listens to during that moment.

As for reading this, hopefully there isn't too much present tense/ past tense differences. I had started writing chapter one with present tense but as I began to write this chapter, I got into past tense so I had to go through it and change it up to make it consistent.

But yes, review and tell me what works and doesn't, if there are any grammar errors, spelling or improvements or continuity errors or compliments. I hate editing but I will!

Responding to Reviews:

Guest 1: Thanks so much!

Guest 2: Hopefully it wasn't too confusing… did you realize that they were in a recording studio after? And yes, she is a musician/producer/director. She is in the music industry.


	2. The Knight in the Night

_**Chapter Two: The Knight in the Night**_

A tint of blue fills the swaying grass of Forest Haven. There is a tall hill, and by its path, Zelda's car is stationed by the side.

A loud tap against the window forces the driver awake. She stirs, forcing her heavy eyelids open to stare at the tall shadow by her car. While one hand rose to turn the lights on above, the other reaches under her seat for a can of pepper. The lights turn on to reveal a smiling face sprayed with freckles. He leans in closer; he has a strong chin that is complemented with a pair of soft cheeks. "Hey," He says. "I'm guessing you're in need of a fix?" His voice isn't threatening, or too deep but inviting.

Zelda smiles softly, tapping the passenger seat until she finds her phone and is surprised to see that it is past midnight. "Oh goddess…" She whispers and this time, staring at the bar, she hopes to see a miracle but it remains at one bar.

"I noticed the broken tire," He says, pointing towards her right. "I noticed it as I walked here."

"I'm sorry," Zelda says quickly. "You seem like a really nice guy. I don't want to be rude or anything but it's in the middle of the night, you're suddenly here and I'm alone…" The man raises his eyebrows but quickly laughs as he realizes the gravity of the situation.

"Oh, right. Sorry, I'm Mido." He starts, ending the laugh with a brief chuckle. "I'm one of your grandmother's friends…If you can call us friends. I mean, yes we are friends it's just that, I don't know if you'd think that it was weird that I'm young and she's old… yeah, we're friends." Finishing his rant, Zelda surprisingly manages to keep a straight face.

"How do you… know my nana?" She asks slowly.

"Oh, Edna? Everyone in town knows each other."

"And why are you here in the middle of the night?"

"She called me and told me about her missing granddaughter. She said you'd be riding in a green Volkswagen." Zelda's calculating eyes finally determine that he's friendly and unlocks the door. "Alright, listen. I don't have a tire for you right now because I didn't bring one with me." He says, stepping back to give her space while she crawls out through the passenger's door.

Once Zelda is on the ground, she rubs a hand against her aching back before stretching. "We can move all your stuff in the back," He says, pointing at the wooden cart, dragged by two horses. "You can lock the door and I'll call Mutoh early in the morning to get your car fixed. He'll tow it back to Edna's for you."

"How early?" She asks, already opening her trunk and picking up her luggage.

"Six o'clock? Maybe seven." He follows her actions, taking her baggage and walks to the back of the cart. "He usually wakes up early so I'm sure he can get it in Edna's driveway before you wake up." Mido rests her baggage down to open the back entrance to the cart. "If you wake up late that is." He jokes, but receives no reply. While Zelda travels back and forth between her trunk to his cart, Mido begins to untie the rope that keeps the luggage on top of car free.

"What do you do?" Zelda asks after some silence.

"I'm just a farmer." He answers, placing the last of her luggage into the cart. He raises the bar to close the end.

"What do you grow?"

"We grow a lot of things but what we mainly grow is wheat." He tells her and waits by her side while she takes her purse and locks her car.

"A lot of work?"

"Yes, but thanks to technology, it can be managed by a small group."

"Oh, how small?" She asks, following him to the front of the cart. He climbs on top, raising a hand for her to take and she gladly accepts. His hands are hard, filled with callous and he easily pulls her up before shrugging.

"Well, currently. I'm living with two buddies of mine, we all operate the farm." He grabs the reigns and clicks his tongue. "Walk." He says loudly, and the horses obey. "So, you're Zelda right?" Zelda glances at Mido and nods. She's surprised that he isn't shivering due to his lack of cover: a pair of shorts and an athletic shirt. "How long has it been since you last came to Forest Haven?" Mido asks.

Zelda doesn't answer right away but when she does reply, he asks her to repeat because she is too quiet.

"Two full years." She answers louder. She had come by earlier, perhaps just past a year but she hadn't counted that as a visit. After all, she just came to pick something... or someone up.

"Oh? I should recognize you then, but I don't."

"Yeah…" She sighs; her eyes lower to stare at the ground below. The grains of dry dirt trail behind the wooden wheels. "I preferred to stay inside then…" She mutters.

"But I think I did see you though, from time to time. You looked really sad back then." She didn't reply to his comment. Once the silence started, it continued and both members didn't take notice nor agitate it with forced conversation but invited it as a time for thought. Zelda leans against the hard wooden seat, listens to the horse's clucking feet and inhales the cool air before falling asleep to the dark unlit shapes around her.

123

There is a loud muffle of cries, and a loud squeak that ended with a bang. Zelda raises her head, panic at first until she recalls the events of earlier. She's in front of the familiar white wooden house. "Zelda!" Edna says loudly, opening her arms and is forced to wait for her granddaughter to get down the cart. Once she is safe on ground, Edna smothered her in a hug.. "Oh, I called Daphnes. He said he'd come by but I'll quickly call back and tell him you're home." She marches back inside the house and Zelda, still half asleep has a hard time registering what Edna had just said.

So she continues to stare at the door, her mind wanders to the thought of a comfortable bed, wrapped within large puffy blankets and a soft pillow, cradled in warmth. The though struck fancy to her, and she found herself loosing balance until a strong hand held her still. Mido looks down and grins. "You okay there?" He asks, his other hand balancing a large suitcase on his shoulders.

"Huh?" She snaps out of her state. "Oh, sorry. Yes I'm okay." She walks to the back of the cart and grabs her suitcases.

Walking past the screen door and the wooden door, she walks to her right into the small living room. It smells thick of lavender and the furniture is over stuffed with floral print. Doyle's were lay rest on the sofa and the table. She can see her grandmother in the kitchen, talking on the phone and wrapping the cord around her finger. The kitchen has three entrances, one from the hallway, one from living room and the final door lead to the backyard.

Edna soon calls out for Zelda. The brunette stares at her shoes. What do I do with it? She wonders, her mind drunk of sleep before deciding to kick them off her feet and leaving them scattered near the front door. She quickly walks down the hallway and into the kitchen. The cold tile that touched her feet made her spine shiver, electrifying her body with energy. She takes the phone from her grandmother and can hear her mother asking for her. "Yes mom, right here… yes I'm okay. It was the tire… yeah, I used my extra one. Two tires flattened. Nana's friend Mido found me. Yes I'm okay and I'm sure nobody followed me here…"

"That should be everything." Mido says from the living room, forcing Edna to part with Zelda.

"Thank you so much Mido!" She says, placing a hand against the wall as she enters the living room.

"It's no problem, after all, you've done so much for us." He says, referring to his friends.

"Speaking of that, how is he?"

"He got better. After two years, I hadn't expected this fever attack to strike again… Good thing we still had some of your remedies.'

"When did it start?" She asks, guiding him into her kitchen. In the corner of the kitchen is a small table. She offers a seat that he takes and Edna places three mugs filled with hot water down on knitted coasters.

"Uhm, around eight to nineish?"

"Hm, so it's been five hours?"

"I think so." He says then takes a sip of the tea. "But before I left, he was getting better. He wasn't sweating buckets, nor did he tussle too much. His temperature did go down after the sponge bath."

"Hm." Edna begins to think loudly, looking at her tea before taking a sip. "I'd like to check on him still. The pattern of these fevers are very odd... realizing how sever the last fever was, I'd like to stay on the safe side and be by his side for now." She whispers, and Mido nods. He takes a giant sip of tea and by the time he and Edna finish their tea, Zelda is off the phone.

"I'd like to sleep!" Zelda exclaims, raising her arms over her head to stretch.

"Oh, go ahead dear." Edna says, taking the two empty cups and places them carefully in the sink.

"Aren't you going to sleep too?" Zelda asks slowly, glancing at Mido who didn't move from the kitchen chair. When he stared back at her, she averted the eye contact by shifting her view on the extra cup on the table. She walks to the table and takes the cup.

"No, no." Edna says, washing the cups quickly. Hearing the answer from her grandmother, Zelda masks her surprises by taking a sip of tea. The warm water tickle her throat, and she could feel it fall past her chest and resting in her empty stomach. She sighs with pure satisfaction and can feel her eyelids become less heavy.

"I've got to check up on a friend of mine." Edna says, placing the cups on the side to dry.

"I thought Cassiopia is the town doctor now." Zelda says, referring to her grandmother's past apprentice. She remembers the quiet girl who diligently followed her grandmother, asking questions and taking notes. That was two years ago and would often see her on her rare adventures to the living room.

"Yes, but she's a busy women now."

"What do you mean by that?"

"She's got herself a baby to take care of." Edna turns around slowly, yawning in her hand.

And my grandmother has to take care of herself, Zelda thought. So a young woman can't abandon her baby but a 79 year old woman with failing health can leave the comforts of her home in the middle of the night.

"Wow, good for her." Zelda forces herself to say. "Who's the father?"

"Clyde." The river man is his nickname. He had a home by the river and his income came from fishing.

"Ah, they were really cute together last time I was here." Zelda finishes her tea and places it in the sink. "Oh snap." Zelda says, clutching onto her stomach. "I forgot how badly I needed to use to washroom!" She says while running out the kitchen. "I'm also coming with you!" Her faint voice can be heard before the quick footsteps of her running up the stairs. She can't let a 79 year old woman leave her home unprotected.

"Where did you find Zelda?" Edna asks to fill the silence and sits across from Mido. His strong arm is propped against the table to support his head, and his glossy eyes finally focus on what he's staring at.

"Oh, I was headed to your home. She was just a mile away." He say before yawning loudly.

"How'd you convince her to come with you?"

"I just explained how I knew you, what you had told me, the description of the car."

"Oh," Both heads turn to the hallway entrance to see Zelda with a giant smile.

"Shall we go?" Zelda asks, linking arms with her grandmother once she is standing. Outside the house, the two females climb into the cart. Once the horses begin to move, Zelda asks Mido: "How would we get home?"

"You won't be getting home, you're going to be a guest at my house for the night. No big deal, it's not like your car was a better bed." Mido joked but it had not touched Zelda kindly, at all. She looks behind her, the white house is no longer seen under the row of trees.

"I wish you told me that before we left the house…" She mutters, shifting uncomfortably in her seat and wanting bad to take a warm shower and change into comfortable clothes.

As proud as Zelda is that her grandmother cares about others, times like these, it makes Zelda feel that Edna is being selfish. Hadn't she known that Zelda and the family wants her to stay healthy, meaning more sleep and less night outs? The bags under her eyes dragged her eyelids down, and she found that her mouth curved down wards naturally, and soon her head would follow. The ride felt worst as she lay her back against the hard wood bench. She turns over and tries different positions until she gives in, and lets out quiet dry sobs. She's being dramatic, she knew this much, but she's frustrated and tired.

Thankfully, Edna notices her granddaughter's situation and offers her lap as a pillow. Once Zelda lies against her grandmother, she felt the old womans heavy hand going through her hair. She then began to hum a song she had sung to Zelda when she was just a babe.

The cart came to a halt but Zelda's body refuses to get up. She drags her tired hands onto the seat to push herself up but lost balance as her head thumped in disapproval. She feels the water in her stomach come up her throat but she forces herself to swallow, leaving a bitter taste on the back of tongue. Jumping off the cart and helping her grandmother down, Mido invites them in the white country home or mansion. It was giant, Zelda thought. A family of 20 could live in this home.

The building felt eerie, it was awful quiet so that every step they took would creak under the old wood. It was clearly spacious, and right away it is the living room. Zelda inspects the space around her: the antlers placed on the walls and various medals relating to farming. The furniture is mainly wood but shaped and refined into complex patterns.

Following Mido up the stairs, the only door distinguishable in the long hallway is the one with two dogs lying beside it. The collie border and the Australian shepherd both raise their head, and their large glossy eyes stare at the three. Mido gives them a soft pat on the head as he walks into the door, while Zelda just gave the two dogs a smile.

Stepping out of the dimly lit hallway and into the room, she is immediately hit with a wave of heat and a mix of pungent smells. Smells of vomit and sweat that churned her own stomach, forcing her to place a fist against her mouth, and another hand over her stomach. She waits until her innards settle before continuing to step into the room.

"Get to windows open." Edna cackles before stepping at the end of the bed, blocking the view of the patient. Zelda watches Mido step out of the room before her eyes landed on a short female. Her hair the odd colour of green, and they both share a small glance, blue meets blue before the female disappears into the attached washroom.

"Take a seat Edna." The female says from the washroom, and once nana Edna walks from the end of the bed, the patient is seen. A man in rest is laid on the bed, his dirty blonde hair matted with sweat and his bare muscular chest is half covered by the thin blanket. His arms are sprawled beside him, and Zelda can hear his uneven breathing.

Zelda watches him, examines his face for a long time but is forced to look away as the female steps out of the washroom. Zelda knows the female is staring at her, and she tries not to create a scene out of the tense filled glare. Once the female is out, she leans close to the man on the bed to switch the wet towel on his head with another one before disappearing in washroom once more.

"He doesn't seem completely restless." Edna whispers, taking a temperature stick from a mug on the side table and places it in his mouth. "Saria," She says, catching the attention of the green haired female and she is now in full view of Edna. "How has he been?"

"He got better at around one o'clock." Saria says, glancing at Zelda before focusing on Mido who steps in with two chairs. She accepts one from Mido and gladly sits down. "And since then, he's gotten better." She smiles softly her eyes remaining on the sleeping male.

During the quiet examination, Mido breaks the silence by addressing Zelda to Saria.

"I know who she is." Saria mumbles and frowns as she is forced to stare at Zelda instead of the man on the bed. "Nice to meet you Zelda." Saria smiles but Zelda has a hard time reflecting the happiness due to her own tiredness and the earlier remark Saria had made. So far, Zelda thinks, Saria does not like her.

"Nice to meet you too. You must be Saria." The green haired nods, looking back at the man on the bed. "So… Who is he?" Zelda asks, staring at the man.

"Link." Mido answers for her. There is a moment of silence. "Say, Zelda. You must be tired. Let me get you settled in a guest room." He says while searching in the wooden cabinet.

"What are you doing?" Saria stands from her chair making Zelda grind her teeth at the uncomfortable squeal of the chair leg against the floor.

"Finding her something to wear, duh." Mido says, rolling his eyes.

"Why Link's clothes?" Saria asks, approaching him and grabs his arm. He turns to stare down at her and even Zelda is astonished by their height difference.

"Sorry to break it to you shorty but your clothing is too small for her and my clothing is too big for her. Link's will be fine."

"But-"

"Relax, I'll pick out something he doesn't usually wear." After digging in his closet, he pulls out old sweats and a t-shirt. He throws it at Zelda and signals her to follow as they step into the hallway. Three doors down from Links, and the room at the end of the hallway is the guest room, Mido says. Opening the door wide and turning the lights on to the very spacious room, he shows her the attached bathroom before leaving her alone. This room is the size of a master bed room, she thought and is a bigger room than the room she has at nana's.

Zelda throws Link's clothing on her bed before escaping into the bathroom where she finds dry towels hanging on the rack. Under the cabinet is a bag of feminine products stowed behind packages of toilet paper and inside the medicine cabinet are bottles of over the counter medicine: Advil, Tylenol, Aspirin, cough medicine, medicine for allergies and lotion. Taking the bottle of Tylenol she rests it on the counter by the new tooth brush and untouched toothpaste.

The cool water against her skin relaxes her instantly and she longs to stay in the shower but reminds herself of the comfortable bed outside. Stepping outside and drying her body, she cleans her teeth before swallowing one pill of Tylenol. Now inside the bedroom, Zelda clothes herself with Link's shirt and sweats. It smelled sweet, she thought blushing. It wasn't a blush of affection towards Link because she doesn't know him, but the thought of her ex-boyfriend. Moments when she'd wear his clothing.

She stares at the large bed, it's fluffed with layers of bedding and pillows and she stops herself from jumping on it. She had, after all, gone all this way to the home. She shouldn't waste her remaining energy on sleep but to help her grandmother. Walking outside on her toes, she creeps into the room where Link is. The dogs are now inside at the foot of Edna while Mido and Saria are out of sight. "Where are they?" Zelda whispers, catching her grandmother's attention.

"I told them to sleep. They need it." Link looks much better, his breathing is even and body is no longer glossy with sweat.

"You too nana, you're old and I don't want you getting sick." Zelda says and in response the old woman raises a hand to dismiss the truth.

"I'd rather die early doing something important then die old, staying in a crumbling home as I desperately try to hold my youth." These words were true to Edna's heart, Zelda can see this and testify to this by her actions from two years ago but it only made her angry. Why are you being so selfish? Zelda wants to shout out but does not. Can't you see we love you and don't ever want to see you go? Don't you see _I _need you? All these thoughts swarm her head and in a battle to fight tears, Zelda looses but before Edna could see, Zelda turns on her heel and goes to bed. _  
_

* * *

Wow! Chapter Three! After comparing reviews… I realized that my writing style doesn't appeal to a lot of people… So after reading Sister's Brothers by Patrick DeWitt (still reading it) and A Hero's Walk by Anita Rau Badami. I loved the way they explained everything! The setting, the fluidity. So I tried to make it something like that lol. Which I think turned out much better.

As for the title. I like how it sounds lame.

**Made changes, added more. Worked on tenses and explaination to Zelda's following is better explained. **

As for that! Yay! Zelda finally gets rest! And she meets Link as promised! But you probably thought he was going to save her huh? Mwuahhaha.

And two years ago Zelda came to Forest Haven…. What do you think happened then?

Tell me what you guys think! I love hearing from you all. Cheers and God Bless.

I tried to write this chapter as quickly as possible, so message me if I got any mistakes = grammar/ past or present tense/ spelling/word choice!

Response to Reviews:

Richard: Thanks! I hope you continue to like it and find it interesting. :P

ScootinJack: Haha, I was hoping someone would notice Zelda's problem. I know, too bad. Good thing someone saved her. :P

Michie: Thanks. I hope everyone understands the setting!

Shadow: Thanks you!

Knight: Awesome, another Canadian! Then I'm sure you know those two books I mentioned above. Really good and recommended if you haven't read them. Sister's Brotheres is highly recommended over Heros walk. I'm on chapter five in Hero's Walk? The story and **writing is amazing** but the main character is annoying so far. Sisters Brother's thought, story, writing and characters are amazing.


	3. Memories and Reunions

_**Chapter Three: Reunions and Memories**_

The morning sky is cloudless while the sun peaks over the hills. A loud rooster crows in the dawn of day but many fail to listen and enjoy their sleep until later. In Kakariko Village, the Stock Pot Inn however, begins to wake.

The eldest daughter wakes from her bed despite her want to stay in and changes into a dress fit for work. Stepping out of her room, she sees her older step-brother Grog wiping the front desk clean. "Morning," She smiles and he can only greet her with a tired smile. "How was your sleep?" She asks as she unlocks the glass doors to the attached restaurant.

"Not bad but it wasn't my best." He answers. She tries to ignore the tension filled silence after that response.

"See you later." She tries to say kindly before walking inside. The room is dark and the red head walks slowly as she heads towards the windows. As she gets closer, she can already see the light spilling from the space between the curtains and the window. She whips the curtains open and the light spews into the room, illuminating the vast space: the white cotton sheets that cover the tables, the simple flowers in the center and the cushion wooden seats. The ceilings are tall and its wooden beams can be seen while a fan in the center remains still as it waits for the power. Across the tall large windows is the long counter, and behind that is the familiar kitchen.

Anju had been surprised of her mother's decision to remarry and at such an old age too. She had believed her mother to be very sentimental and remembered the times she had been when grieving for the lose of Tortus, her real father.

Perhaps it was a good thing though; she had tried to reassure herself during the mostly silent greeting dinner. Her mother did need someone else since her father had died. Since his death, Anju had been working nonstop to continue the success of Stock Pot Inn and hadn't realized that her mother was spending a lot of time with men, like Mutoh.

Mutoh isn't a bad man; he can make her and her mother laugh like she's never had before. He works hard keeping his repair shop busy while disciplining aspiring workers as well. She would whole heartedly accept him if it wasn't for his son. He isn't as bad as he looks but she had to admit, the first time she had seen him had surprised her. The first meet and greet dinner was at the formal restaurant _Subrosia _thus not expecting to see him enter so casually with a mohawk dressed in an oil spilled shirt with ripped jeans. He could have combed his hair down, she thought but he didn't, she was certain that he had jelled high just for this occasion.

She had glanced at her mother and Mutoh, expecting to see shock and hurt but they didn't take it to heart and only greeted him cheerfully, despite the fact that he was 30 minutes late. He nodded at the three and sat across from Anju, beside his father and pulled the chair out slowly and half-heartedly so that it would wail loudly against the wooden floors. Anju was forced to remain smiling throughout the next two hours as people stared and gossiped. It is, in fact, a small town after all.

There is a loud pitch squeal that causes Anju to put her thoughts aside. Turning the stove off, she takes the whistling kettle and begins to pour hot water into two cups, one for herself and the other for her brother. As she walks out with the tray in her hand, Mutoh enters and greets her cheerfully. "Good morning sweetie!" He smiles, patting her back lightly.

"Morning," She responds out of love, unlike her forced conversation with Grog. "What are you doing so early… pa?" She whispers the last part; the word that had vanished from her mouth so long ago felt weird as it resurfaced.

"Mido called me just a while ago." He sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "It was about a car – oh thank you –" He stops and accepts her cup of coffee. He takes a long sip before continuing. "A green Volkswagen had popped two tires but the driver only had one extra. I'm off to repair it and to drive it later to Edna's."

"Edna?" This immediately sparks a feeling in her stomach.

"Yup," He responds, taking another long sip of the warm coffee before rubbing his top lip and smoothing his mustache down. "Jeff left and so I think it might be the other quiet grandchild. Female, the sickly one, or the not sickly one anymore. I don't know." Anju immediately broke into a smile.

"Can I come with you?" She asks, causing Mutoh to raise a curious eyebrow.

"Sure, I'll go make us some breakfast. Aikya should be down soon." He says, referring to his wife and her mother. She walks outside and places the tray on the front desk, catching Grog's attention. He looks up from the newspaper and places his feet down from the desk.

"I made you coffee." She smiles, giving it to him.

"Thanks." He says, taking a sip and enjoying its taste. "Why do you need a tray for one cup?" He raises an eyebrow but Anju just shrugs the question off.

"It must be the morning," She replies with, hoping that answer would satisfy him so she wouldn't have to continue the conversation. She brushes off his judgmental look and walks inside the restaurant. This time, the air is warm and comforting while the aroma of eggs and bacon fill the room. She begins humming _Oh! What a Beautiful Morning_ as she enters the kitchen and begins to set the small table inside for her and Mutoh. Mutoh joins her in humming the familiar tune and the two enjoy the beautiful morning.

123

The rooster crow was loudest in Zelda's room and she groans, shifting in the large puffy blankets that mold around her shape. As it crows again, her hand wanders trying to find another pillow to cover her head but the moment of silence is broken as the door opens. "Zelda?" It's the voice of her grandmother.

"I'm awake." Zelda says softly, sitting up and leaning against the headboard. "Morning nana," She smiles before yawning. Her face felt stiff and it isn't until she touches her face did she remember that she cried herself to sleep.

The old woman walks towards her and sits by the end of her bed. "Oh dear, if you were so tired you should have just stayed home."

"And leave you all alone? Did you forget nana, you're sick and old. Besides I want to be with you. I've spent my last visit sulking and missing out; I've decided to be with you. I promised didn't I?" Zelda says.

"Yes, yes. But I'm not that old." Despite her being 60 years older than Zelda. Edna looks at her wrinkly hands. It still shocked her from time to time to see how much she had aged, her tendency to drift into thoughts of the past kept her in that fake reality. "This reminds me of the time when you were very young and you'd always follow me to the patients home. You even brought your own toy medic bag and did whatever I did." Edna laughs lightly. "Do you remember?"

"I do…" Zelda says, remembering very faintly that she had pressed the end of the plastic stethoscope on her teddy bear's chest while her grandmother had done so to a patient in bed. "I can't believe I wanted to be a doctor."

"Oh you wanted to be so many things. I remember you looked at your daddy so seriously and told him that you're going to be the next president. We actually believed you at that time." The two laugh and after some silence Edna finally says, "I miss your hand written letters. E-mails, or whatever you kids call them are nice but it's not the same." Zelda reaches out and places her hands on top of her grandmothers.

"I know, but please understand." She says, closing her hands around the once smooth skin that are now loose and layered. "I was busy."

"And it's good that you were." Edna looks up. "I'm so proud of you and how you recovered."

"and I couldn't have done it without you nana. You're my hero." There is a moment of silence, silence of comfort and good thoughts before they are interrupted by a short knock.

"Come in." Zelda calls out, and Saria walks in.

"Breakfast is ready." The short female says, her voice is quiet and the bags under her eyes are another proof of her tired state. Her eyes couldn't focus on the two females in front of her, and as she walks out, there is a small sway in each step.

"I better tell the two boys not to bully her to work today." Edna says, laughing along with her granddaughter. "Well," Edna pats Zelda's hand. "We'll have our talk later, let's go and join them for breakfast."

123

Downstairs is a lot more inviting than it was last night. The open windows let much light in creating a welcoming, comforting atmosphere for Zelda. Inside the kitchen, the two dogs are eating away while Mido is frying the last couple of eggs. It is loud as the fan above the stove spins heavily and the clanging of plates and eating utensils are being set. "Morning," Edna says, and everyone in the kitchen except for Mido responds. Saria, Link respond with their own mornings and the two dogs only glance at Edna with their large glossy eyes before going back to their bowls.

In that moment, Zelda and Link share a long glance. She is relieved to know that he's alright, it's almost as if his fever had gone away overnight.

Saria points and notions at the two empty chairs across from hers, signalling that they should sit there.

Once Zelda and Edna sit, the exhaust in the kitchen turns off, leaving an unsatisfying emptiness in their ears but Mido, realizing their presence fills the silence with his loud voice. "Oh, morning. Didn't realize you two had walked in." He says, sliding the sunny-side eggs onto the center plate. As Zelda watches the peaceful interactions, she is struck by the old memory of waking up to her family who greet each other happily. She misses those times and her work had prevented her from going home and so she'd stay in her quiet, empty loft in Downtown Hyrule.

Just as Zelda is about to reach for a toast, Link takes her left hand while Edna takes the other. Filled with confusion and embarrassment, Zelda finally realizes what is going on when Saria bows her head and Mido leads them through grace. At the end of the prayer, Zelda mutters her amen. This time, she waits for everyone else to take the food before she does. "So Zelda, it didn't dawn on me until a good sleep did I realize that you're famous." Zelda forces a smile even though it brings back a tragic memory.

She is glad that Mido can talk through the silence but she wishes he'd bring up another subject. "I don't know if you would still call me famous." Zelda plays on, laughing shortly after.

"Saria is a fan of yours, you didn't know? She has like, all your CD's." He pats the short girl on his left, across from Zelda whose face sink closer to her body as she tries to hide her growing red face. That comes off as a surprise, the attitude she had given Zelda last night made her think that she knew who she was but didn't like her in any way.

"Oh, I'm really honoured." Zelda says, encouraging Saria to raise your head.

"I'm really sorry with what happened." Saria whispers, causing Zelda's smile to waver. Link, who had been silent the whole time watches her and is the only one who sees the small frown that quickly shift back into a smile.

"Yeah, it sucked." Zelda comments quickly, hoping to ignore it.

"Why?" Mido says loudly, chewing quickly in hopes to swallow his food. This causes Saria to roll her eyes. "What happened?"

"Geez Mido, can you not talk with your mouth full?" Saria mutters sharply under her breath, pinching the boy's muscular arm.

"Alright, alright." Link continues to stare at Zelda who smiles and diverts her view to her plate. Ever since the topic, she had started to poke her food instead of eating it. Out of concern, he brings up his observation carefully and quietly so Mido wouldn't hear and make a scene out of it.

"Are you feeling alright? You aren't eating." Link says causing Zelda to look up. Her eyes are wide for a short second and he can see depth in those light blue eyes. Admittingly; he is feeling nervous around her and for the first time, wishes that their first meeting could have been at another time when he wasn't sick and filled with vomit. But Link couldn't understand that feeling and want, so he took it as another interpretation: being nervous because she was/is famous? He didn't know.

"Oh yeah, the food is good, just taking time to digest." She answers back. Zelda is able to get a real look at Link now that its morning and he isn't puking. He's a handsome man, Zelda admits, with a strong jaw and chin. His features are hard; he has striking eyes, a strong nose and thin lips but his eyes are his strongest quality. They are soft and could make anyone feel welcome, that they could talk to this man about anything, whether they've known him all their life or just met.

"That's good, as long as you're eating." He smiles softly, focusing now on Mido and Saria who are on a topic involving something he can actually talk about. His timid response to Zelda shifts as he begins talking loudly and offering more words than he had just did. Zelda glances at her food taking a bite before receiving a nudge on her right arm. She looks at her grandmother who raises an eyebrow while giving her a sly smile.

"Nana…" She whispers as her face turned slightly red. "Later," She mouths, hoping not to catch the attention of the others around her. Though as childish as it seems, Zelda enjoys the tiny sparks that form in her stomach. She misses the feeling of attraction and she, without a doubt, is attracted to Link.

She joins in their conversation as naturally as possible and eventually their plates are empty except for Mido's who constantly reaches for more.

Zelda glances at Links right forearm resting beside his empty plate and just near his hand is her hand, lightly brushing up against his from time to time, leaving a soft itching on her hand. Oh goddess, she thinks, she'll have to stop thinking like a schoolgirl. Link doesn't deserve someone like her, she declares even though she doesn't know Link's true personality. Ending the silly fantasies, she removes her left hand from the scene and rests it on her lap.

If she hadn't returned to her conversation with Saria, she would have noticed that the corner of Link's mouth made a small slant downwards. "Oh yeah, Zelda." Mido says, catching her attention. The table waits but Mido raises a hand in the air while the other hand forms into a fist in front of his mouth. He burps loudly, excusing himself. The table bursts into laughter except for Saria who had, despite her trying to hold in hers, is playfully punching his arm.

"Not in front of the guest!"

"Alright, sorry." He grins, easily catching her hand. "So Zelda, I called Mutoh. He should be finished with your car now. I can bring you guys home." Mido says while he stands and stretches. He rubs his stomach, raising his striped tank top to reveal an evenly toned muscular stomach.

"Yes do that, I'm sure Edna needs her rest." Saria says rising also and begins stacking the dishes. Link and Zelda join to help her. As Edna begins her own conversation with Mido the doorbell rings, causing the Collie Border to rise from her rest and bark loudly. The two female dogs jog to the door, watching Mido approach it and open it.

"Is Zelda here?" A voice asks. Zelda peaks from the kitchen, hoping it isn't anyone from New Hyrule. She sees a small bit of red hair and wonders if Malon had looked for her, though it is highly unlikely. There would have been a call... or an e-mail, but thinking again, she still had her laptop in her suitcase.

"Yeah." He says, inviting her in. Once he moves, the female enters and bursts into a smile at the sight of Zelda.

"Oh my goddess!" Zelda says loudly, the two females run towards each other to embrace. "Anju!"

"My dear, let me take a good look at you." Anju says, stepping back but keeps a hand on Zelda's arm. "You look so much better, I mean look at you." The two embrace once more. "There is so much I need to tell you. You hardly respond to my mails, only every two to three weeks!"

"Really sorry," Zelda pouts. "It just that I'm so busy." She says softly, letting go of her friend who just grins at her.

"And it's good you're doing something but never forget the people who love you most." Anju smiles and turns around to stare at a man with blue hair who's talking to Mido. "Kafei." Anju calls out to the short man talking to Mido but now standing beside Anju, he looks fairly tall. "This is Zelda," She points at the blonde. "and Zelda, this is Kafei."

The blue haired man smiles at her, offering up the hand that isn't over the small of Anju's back. In response, she gives him a firm handshake. "Anju's told me so much about you." Zelda says.

"And she talked about you too." Once they finish their handshake, the two step back to enter the circle that is formed. Zelda stands between Edna and Saria while the couple stands between Mido and Link.

"Sorry about the unexpected visit." Anju says looking at Saria who she knew would be the most bothered.

"It's alright, I'm sure we all have unexpected visits but did you two eat breakfast yet?" Saria responds.

"Yes we did, thanks for asking." The red head girl smiles. "Anyways Zelda," Anju starts, catching Mido and Kafei off their small conversation. "My mother wants to see you again! You should have dinner with us." Zelda looks at Edna for a confirmation and the old women nodds.

"I'd love to."

"That's great, and you guys are invited too. It'll start at 8?" Anju says, staring at the three farm owners. "As for Zelda, we can drive you home."

"That'd be great." Zelda responds, trying not to smile too widely. The thought of a nice cushioned seat appeals to her more than the hard wood against her back. "Thanks for everything," Zelda says to the three farm owners while walking towards the door with her grandmother. "I'll see you guys at noon?" There is a moment of silence as the three looked at each other, talking with their facial expressions.

"Yes," Saria answers for them all and they crowd by the door to watch Zelda, Edna, Kafei and Anju step towards the green Volkswagen.

"My car!" Zelda says out loud, touching the ceiling affectionately. Kafei throws the keys to her before she hops in. Anju takes the seat beside her while Kafei and Edna sit in the back. "Oh Link!" Zelda calls out, catching the man is surprise. He stands taller and stares at her. "Your clothing," Zelda says, pulling her shirt. "I'll give them back to you at 8." Link nods, giving her a smile as the people inside the car wave one last goodbye before driving off.

"We have so much talking to do!" Anju says once they're out of the Kokori farm driveway. "We need a moment to ourselves, somewhere away from the crowd. How about Forest Minish?"

"That sounds like fun," Zelda says, keeping her eyes on the road.

"Great, how about tomorrow afternoon? You can stop by the Inn where we'll eat lunch then we'll take my horse and trot over there?"

"Yeah, sounds like a plan."

"As for the county fair, you have to come this time."

"I plan on going. When is it?" Anju turns in her seat to stare at Kafei.

"Is it a week from now?" Anju asks and tries to dismiss the un-Kafei act of him blushing and avoiding eye contact.

"Yes," He says softly, causing Edna to raise an eyebrow. She too notices his weird act and did realize that in Kokori Farm, Mido had kept asking him if he was ready for the fair while nudging the guy.

"Yes, it should be a week from now." Anju repeats to Zelda, now sitting back in her seat normally. While Zelda and Anju talk casually, catching up on the past two years, Edna observes Kafei and wonders what is going on.

After dropping Kafei and Anju at the Inn, Edna and Zelda are now in the driveway of their home. Stepping out of the car, Zelda stretchs, hearing her bones crack with sweet satisfaction. She takes a deep breath and feels better at the sight of the familiar home. She follows her grandmother in and began to carry her luggage upstairs. Her nana tells her that she'd like a nap and that after eating lunch, they can visit Lon Lon ranch to see how her horse is doing.

Lon Lon ranch is owned by Talon and before that, his daughter Malon had helped too. When Zelda had turned 15, she had been given a white colt that she named Storm. It was then that she stayed for a full year to nurse the one year old horse but soon had to leave to begin her successful yet short moment in fame. Her family hadn't had the space to provide for the growing horse and soon found themselves in the assistance of Talon and Malon. She had never really clicked with Malon because the girl never allowed her to, she found that the girl was much kinder to her horse than she was to Zelda. Even though they couldn't have long conversations, Zelda had to admit that she had musical talent.

It was when she had come back from riding Storm and upon entering the barn, she hears one of the most beautiful voices in the world. Creeping up on the girl, she is able to understand the basic melody before joining in with a harmony. Malon had been surprised at first but quickly stood and continued their short jam session with Zelda before Zelda messed up on a harmony. They laughed and just as Zelda was about to compliment her, a voice had called out for the girl...Thinking about it now, it sounded like Link, though she wasn't quite sure.

Later for the next five years after her 15th birthday, she had visited often but not long, to bond with Storm and in those years, she too had grown fond of Malon but not as quickly as she had with her own horse. After the accident however and her last visit, she never once laid an eye on Storm and the guilt that labored inside her grew until she couldn't face the horse even after she had come to pick up Malon and bring her to the city.

The horse had neighed loudly at the sight of Zelda and ran towards the girl but she gave the stallion one pat before leaving quickly. It wasn't until later did she burst into tears in the privacy of her apartment. It wasn't until a long conversation with her grandmother was she able to let go of the self-guilt, did she have a strong desire to meet Storm.

Zelda is now finished packing all her clothes in the wardrobe squeezed behind the door, a door that never fully opens. The rest of the empty suitcases are now under the queen sized bed that takes the majority of space in the small room. A washroom is attached to the bedroom room but only big enough to fit the necessities: a shower (no bathtub), a toilet and a sink with a mirror.

If I hadn't had this small home, Zelda thinks, I would probably be claustrophobic. It is a good thing that her family began small, and from that, she is able to stay grounded to things of importance such as family instead of eagerly searching for more power or money.

Stepping out and feeling refreshed, she stares at the clothes she had worn the entire morning, hung on the door hook. Link pops in her head and again a churning in her stomach forces her cheeks to heat. She couldn't help but feel excited for dinner to see him again. This is a much different feeling than when she had dated Façade or Daniel if you're accustomed to calling him that before he had adopted the stage name. She couldn't place an exact finger on why but it feels as if she knew him before. Like they had been connected before they were even conceived.

Walking into her bedroom, she wraps her wet blonde hair in a towel before changing into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Going back into the washroom to take Link's clothes, she walks downstairs to hand wash them. Her grandmother had insisted on not buying machines because they are bad for the environment and that a single women living in a house did not need a large machine to wash just her clothes. So with the wet clothing, Zelda enters the backyard.

It is large indeed; the vast space is surrounded by thick trees that give them privacy. Zelda is suddenly struck by an old memory, a memory of the first few months she had let Storm ride here. Off in the far right, the old shed that her grandfather used to work in is still kept in shape despite his absence on earth.

Once she finished hanging and clipping Link's clothing on the string, she makes her way to the shed and is filled with excitement at the thought of entering the space freely now that she is older. When she was much younger, her father had often scolded her for being too curious, and her grandfather too had warned her about touching things that aren't hers.

She wonders if there is still a desk at the end, crammed with many papers, and drawings nailed to the top. If bookshelves and cabinets cover the walls while the center remains free for larger blueprints.

The room was always dim if Zelda recalls correctly. The center light bulb had burnt out and Gustaf, her grandfather had always forgotten or was too lazy to go buy one so he instead used candles to light his work.

She never did understand what he was working on. He had promised to tell her when she was older but he had died before then. Now in front of the shed, she raises a shaky hand to the door but when she pulls it open, the door fights back and remains shut. She rattles the door and realizes that there is a chain over it. She had been clouded by excitement to realize it earlier.

Sighing, she decides that she'll ask for the key later when the time is right. Even though her grandfather died nine years ago, she still finds it a difficult subject; surprisingly her grandmother had healed faster than Zelda, even though she too had mourned for a long time.

Zelda turns around and heads to the end of the backyard away from the house and enters the tight trail way. When she was a little girl, Zelda and Jeff ran frequently down this trail way; so often that grass failed to grow back and the bushes by the trail made sure not to grow their branches too long so they wouldn't block the children's way. But now, grass grows along the path and some wandering branches would grow on top of the trail. It hadn't been completely covered, she can still see the outline of the grass bending down. Jeff probably had gone down this road on his visit as well. She smiles at the memory of Jeff and her running through the forest, playing hide and seek, sometimes with Daniel on his visits.

The forest sucks in all the noise from the outside and makes it invisible, the air is moist and the smell is fresh and sweet of different herbs. Being encouraged by her memories, she runs through the trail, bursting into laughter as she had done so many years ago when everything was peaceful. After landing in a small clearing in the forest, the old thick tree remains in the center and she can see their old tree house nestled in between the strong branches of the tree.

The old ladder sways softly from the wind and Zelda yanks at it to make sure it is still strong; she decides it's safe and climbs to the top. It is a lot smaller than she remembers and the wood had darkened. Every step makes a squeak and causes the bugs living under it to scurry away. The walls of the house are covered with vines and she ducks to fit through the entrance. Once she enters, a group of squirrels scatter around Zelda's feet and birds fly out of their holes to flap violently around her head before the animals escape in great panic.

The sudden jump of animals nearly gave her a heartache but after they left and realizing that she is without any wounds, she is able to observe the small space. She laughs, touching the small desk she had pictured was much bigger. Across from the table are two small hammocks. In the corner is a dusty kid sized guitar. Running a finger through the strings she is surprised to hear it tuned. Trying again, she picks it up and uses her feet to drag a stool under the desk in the center of the space. Sitting, she begins to confirm that it sounded alright.

It must have been Jeff, she concludes, placing her marry and pinky finger on the two lower strings while her pointing and middle finger touch the top two strings. Strumming only the second bottom string and first she started humming _Possibility, _a song that she had written for Malon. The lyrics flooded her mind: 'Woke up at midnight all alone, was it a dream that you had phoned.' and now she begins to sing, fearful at first. "Were you even thinking of me? Is it even a possibility?" She sounds fine, she tells herself and is encouraged to continue. Maybe my voice came back... she thinks desperately.

"I remember looking at you, wondering if you even knew. So I closed my eyes and counted to ten, was hoping that you would kiss me then. Kissing me," The chorus is coming, she knew it well, and her throat begins to tighten in fear. "Is it even a possibility?" She takes a deep breath but it doesn't feel very deep because her chest continues to feel tight.

"Heart-" She stops immediately at the sound of her voice cracking. A bitter feeling rises up her chest and runs out of her throat as if vomiting. But instead of vomit a dry sob comes out, followed by a waterfall of tears. She places the guitar back in the corner and steps out of the sheltered roof. She sits on a bench that leans against the wall of the tree house and closes her eyes. A deep breath is all it takes to stop the girl from continuing to cry and in the moment of peace, she allows the sounds of the past to fill her ears.

Memories tickle her, a time when she had pretended to be a princess, her brother was the king or the dragon that kept her up in the castle and Daniel would be the knight. Having Daniel there was much better than playing with Jeff. Once, out of boredom, Jeff decided to play as the knight but it felt very uncomfortable and so they stopped and instead played a game that didn't have anything to do with a romantic relationship.

One of those days, a group of kids ran out of the forest. Jeff and her had ducked in the tree house, leaning against the wall and when they had enough courage, would raise their heads to see who it was. There were a lot of them that day. Zelda remembered being scared as they began to climb the ladder and once they saw the two Nohansen children; they were surprised and were about to climb down until Jeff invited them to a game.

It was odd, Zelda thinks, opening her eyes. She had never asked for their names because they all referred to each other by the titles they were given like princess. She wonders how they look now that they were all grown up.

It isn't until lunchtime when she comes back home. Now inside the backyard, she takes the now dry clothes from the line and walks inside to see her grandmother cooking. "Zelda dear," The women says, greeting her with a pout. "Tell me where you go next time; you had me worried sick you know."

"Sorry nana," Zelda says, giving her a quick peck on the cheek as a means of an apology and a greeting. "I went to visit the old tree house. There was a tuned guitar which is odd; do you know how it came to be?" She asks while placing the plates on the table.

"Must be Jeff, he'd often wander in the backyard when talking on his cellular device." Edna places the hot pot filled with Indian chickpea soup on a large coaster. The aroma fills the room and Zelda could feel back of her mouth salivate. Once Edna says grace for them, the two eat slowly; most of the time is filled with conversation.

"What did you think of Kafei?" Edna asks, taking a piece of bread and dipping it into the soup.

"He's like how Anju described. I wanted a picture but she didn't know how to attach photos to e-mail files." Zelda says before sipping on water. "But he seems like a nice guy. It's funny, I thought he was short because he looked short when standing beside Mido." The two laugh.

"Everyone looks short when they're beside Mido. Did you know he used to be the shortest out of the bunch?" Zelda raises an eyebrow. "It's true and he got bitter about it, that's why he was such a rebellious kid when he was growing up. Link on the other hand, wasn't tall but he was taller and it drew a lot of attention so he became so shy that he remained mostly silent."

"Oh, wow." Zelda whispers against her full spoon before drinking the soup.

"Mido was so rude to everyone and it took a while for everyone to like him back after he had grown tall. Now he's a big sweetheart." Edna smiles.

"Saria, Link and Mido are really young to own a farm." Zelda comments after some silence.

"Oh that's because they worked for it. They grew up in an orphan and wanted to leave after realizing that no one would take them so they aspired to own their own farm."

"Wow that's really tough… I can't imagine growing up without ma or pa. I mean, Jeff is annoying but… if something happened to him, I wouldn't know what to do." Zelda pauses before continuing. "Is that why she was so protective when it came around to Link?" This causes Edna to chuckle.

"You could put it that way. It's true that those three are all they have but minus the instinct of protecting a sick one, she likes Link. Or liked." Edna says, not surprised with Zelda's shock.

"But I thought she likes Mido. They're always… hand fighting… touching." She couldn't find the exact words but Edna chuckles it off.

"Oh, Mido likes her alright. He told her and I think she's slowly starting to open up to him now that Link rejected her." Zelda remains attentive, not touching her food as Edna continues. "After Link had left a long relationship, Saria waited before she told him her feelings. He had been surprised but decided to go on a date with her. I remember, she was so excited and asked me what she should wear but after that day…" Edna takes a moment to breathe. "She was here crying."

"What happened?" Zelda's question was a whisper.

"The date had gone horribly, she said. Link was still in a daze and was still thinking of his last girlfriend. Later that evening he confessed that he thought of her only as a sister and couldn't possibly think of her as anything more."

"Wow… Who and how long was his last relationship?"

"Four years." Edna says, looking at her now empty bowl. "And it was with Malon."

"What?!" Zelda says loudly, her desire to eat completely left her. "Why did they break up?" She beings to feel uncomfortable and squirms in her chair. Malon never talked to her about a relationship. They talked about the fate of Lon Lon ranch. the fate of her career, music, what happened to Zelda but never about boys.

"There was…" Edna continues. She contemplates for a good few minutes if she should or shouldn't say it but Zelda pushes on. Edna lets out a long sigh before continuing. "…one girl had promised to take her to the city where they can sing a duet together."

"No…" Zelda whispers, feeling guilt erupt form her stomach, up her chest and out her throat. "Did I do this?"

"No Zelda, Malon had always had a want for adventure and a need to escape the country."

"But I filled her head with those thoughts. I talked to her about the city… I thought that I was doing her good."

"And you are, you're producing her music because you know she'll succeed. Besides, it's been four years since they broke up. Don't worry Zelda." But no matter how many times her grandmother encourages her, the feeling in her core wouldn't disappear and her excitement with meeting Link later vanishes. She doesn't want to see him, she is a horrible person, she concludes.

* * *

OMG I hate the spacing in Fanfiction. I already set it up to be spaced like a book but every time it goes back it's normal self... :(

Hi again. Yup, finished, writing. I wanted to write until the dinner but decided against it. This is already past six thousand words. We got some ZeLink action and some Kafei Anju But yeah, Link dated Malon. Awks right? Haha. And now you get a tiny sense of what happened 2ish years ago with Zelda. She's still facing internal conflicts so it'll take her a while to accept everything.

**Clearing things up:** I merged chapter one and two because they were both short and it's better to have them together. I added stuff to chapter three because it was rushed, the ending is better and now that I have a clear head (I wrote that chapter on the verge of falling asleeping, thus zelda and I's similar attitudes), I am able to write it better with a more satisfying ending. As for this chapter, just edited the tenses, didn't add too much. I will have the next chapter up sometime the beginning of next week. If there are anymore tenses, tell me. and anymore concerns tell meh. Editing sucks and is boring but I'll do it.

Response to Reviews:

Shadow: Thank you!

Yanner: Hopefully this chapter was able to explain that... plus I changed the last chapter to explain it much better. So re-read it. :)

Guest: Haha, yeah… .

Scoot: Thanks, Link did get better, :)

Thanks for following and favouriting!

Response to Review concerning this chapter: **Added**

Richard: THANKS SO MUCH, for all your critisims, I made sure to change it all. Admitidly, I had been too lazy to make the changes before I published that because I really wanted to get it in before the day was over.

Shadow: Thanks again, I'm glad you're liking it so far.

Burning book: I'm going to assume that you're talking about the Malon and Link situation. But yes, I felt really awks writing it, I felt bad for Link and even I wondered what Zelda would do.

Panda reader: lol, and yes I did fix all the tenses (hopefully all the tenses)

Guest 1: Yeah, the music she sings in the tree house is Possibility by Seirra Noble, but as for the story, pretend that Malon is the creater.

Guest: LOL, don't worry, they're my OTP too.

Guest 3: Thanks for being faithful! Hoepfully this edited is betta.

Whisty: haha, I used to be so in love with those to but now I find them really annoying :( and weak heroins make me angry. lol. And their plots and females are so whiny. But yeah, those were the good old days, I still read them when I'm feeling a need of romance. lol.

God Bless.


	4. Let's Talk

_**Chapter Five: Let's Talk**_

Before you begin, have YouTube ready. Songs used: Beethoven "Moonlight" Sonata op 27 # 2 Mov 3 played by Valentina Lisitsa _and When I look at you_ by Miley Cyrus (preferably listen to the piano version by Ray Mak)

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The drive to Lon Lon Ranch is a silent one and Edna doesn't try to agitate it with forced conversation. When anything involves Zelda in the tiniest bit with her possibly being the cause of negativity, she'd often shut down. Since the failed operation and the loss of her voice, her confidence had crumbled.

Two years ago when Zelda had made a retreat to Forest Haven, Edna had been able to heal her character, saved her from suicide and had given her the courage to pursue something else but her confidence… it was and it still remains broken. Zelda had started blaming herself for everything, perhaps not vocally but internally.

They are now pulling up to Lon Lon Ranch's driveway and Talon is seen with his faithful and old Border Collie waiting on the front porch. The man in his mid-50s has his hands rested on the side of his round waist. He smiles upon the arrival of the two. Once they are parked near his house, Edna and Zelda greet him with a hug. "Malon sent me some mail. She seems really excited now that you've finished recording with her." Talon tells Zelda who nods.

"Yeah, she was a little anxious about me leaving but I know my team will do great and Malon isn't a hard person to work with. She's a good girl, really humble." Zelda responds. Talon does not contain the sense of pride he is feeling and smiles freely at the compliment. Signalling the two to follow, they step down from the porch and enter a field to get to the horse shed.

"I'm really glad. I can't thank you enough for giving her this opportunity. She deserves it after all she's done. I'm so proud of her."

"And you should be. But what are you going to do with the farm now that she's not here?" Zelda replies, raising her hand to notion to the area. There is a long pause before Talon responds.

"I've taken in some apprentices. Most of the kids are from the orphanage. They work really hard; it's good they're ambitious. I am however, concerned with what I'll do with the farm after I'm an old man." The three continue to walk through the untrimmed grass and Edna is slightly behind the two with the Collie Border walking beside her. "If Malon still wants the farm, I'll give it to her; otherwise… there is one kid that's really bonded with me. I'm still a little unsure if I should adopt him or not." The older man raises a hand to his neck. When Zelda looks at Talon, she can see over his head, her grandmother and her distance. Zelda stops to wait for her and reaches her grandmother's hand to wrap it around her arm. "Storm's really excited to see you Zelda." Talon says while he enters the shed.

The inside smells thick of hay and wet animal skin. It is a lot bigger than it looks with the ceiling so tall that their voices create an echo. There is a tall muscular boy standing in the center with his back faced to the entrance, he is holding a pitchfork and tosses hay over a tall wooden stalls. Surprised by the group, he stops what he's doing and greets them. "Oh, would you like me to leave?" He asks and stands to face the group. His lips are small and close to his chin, almost as if it is drooping off his face. His nose is large and his eyebrows are curved inward, having the expression of worry and uncertainty on him all the time.

Zelda tries not to gasp too loudly but she is certain that if there is another clone of the man standing on his shoulders, they would touch the top of this barn. And if she even dares to think of it, he is probably a full head taller than Mido making this man almost 7 feet tall. "No, no, no." Talon responds to his question. "Stay and do your work. We're only making our way to Storm." Talon says, having to raise his arm over his head to pat this man's back.

It is his abnormal height that makes him stand from the crowd but this difference did not draw kindly to him, as it had to Mido. The unwanted attention encouraged him to try to conform thus the bad posture, forever bending his spine forward in hopes of appearing shorter.

When Zelda and Edna walk past him, Zelda gives him a warm smile before edging away. "Storm's really missed you." Talon says, looking over his shoulder to stare at the ladies. "Even mentioning your name makes him want to kick himself free to see you." The plump man lets out a loud laugh. They continue to walk down the path in silence until Zelda sees the white coat of the horse through the short bars resting on top of the tall wooden beams. Her heart pounds in excitement and her mind begins to go wild as she thinks of possible scenarios. "Storm!" Talon calls out to catch the horse's attention. The stallion raises his head and when he sees Zelda, the horse trots towards entrance, sticking his head out through the space so he can see them fully.

"Hey Buddy." She says as they approach the royal beast. He begins blowing deep puffs of air from his nostrils while shaking his head and neighing softly. Once she's near and is able to touch him she raises a single hand to touch the long bridge of his nose. "I've missed you so much." She whispers and does not fight against the tears the fall from her eyes. The horse continues to shake his head and Zelda can only lightly chuckle. "I know, I know, I'm sorry." She says, pressing her head against his.

"Here, let's open the stall for you two." Talon says. He walks towards the fence that is separating the rider and the horse. Zelda stands back, wiping away her tears and watches patiently as Talon turns the crossbar. He places a hand on the side of the horse's neck as he walks in to signal him to step back. At first he refuses, neighing loudly and raises his front legs high. "Don't worry, she ain't going nowhere." Talon says signalling Zelda to enter.

"Storm…" She whispers, walking up to the stallion and Storm rests his neck on her shoulder while his head covers her back hoping to pull her close. She whispers his name over and over while stroking his neck. Beads of tears fall from her eyes and the two adults wait outside to leave the two alone.

"She really misses him." Edna says to Talon in a hush voice so she wouldn't break the solemn moment. "You know, she still feels guilty for ignoring him."

"She hadn't done it on purpose. She was hurting." Talon says. "She pushed everyone out of the way and I'm sure Storm knew she hadn't abandoned him."

"It's true but anything that involves her negatively, she blames herself." There is a moment of silence. "I just recently told her," Edna starts, catching Talon attention. "the reason why Malon decided to break up with Link."

"Oh. " Edna nods at his surprised face. "But that was years ago…"

"I know… I wish I can do something about it though." The two look back at Storm and Zelda who are still hugging.

"You've done far enough Edna. Only Zelda can fight this one on her own, if she decides to truly forget the past and forgive herself." But when he says this, he can't find the courage to look at Edna straight in the eye. After all, he too found it difficult to forget Malon's selfishness. Had she not been thinking about the ranch? About what he would do now that she's gone? And Link is a good boy. He was excited about calling him son and they had already started talking about the future. He had blamed Zelda at one point himself and it had taken him a while for him to accept that Malon owns her life and has decisions to make for herself.

Talon is caught in surprise when Zelda finally looks their way. "I think I'm ready to ride." She says loud enough. Her nose is slightly running with its own water while her cheeks and ears are red. Despite this, she continues to smile.

"Alright, I'll set him up." In the next moment the yard is filled with laughter and the sound of Storm's heavy weight galloping past the two old people. They run in circles and soon he begins to run faster and faster. After warming up the 9 year old horse, Zelda stops in front of Talon to ask him if she can ride him through the open field.

"Sure," Talon says. "I don't see a problem with it and I think Storm will love it." He says patting the horse on his cheek.

"Just remember we have dinner at 8 with Anju." Edna screams at Zelda and Storm who are now out of sight.

Hearing her reminder, Zelda allows the wind to capture her worry and throw it behind her. She continues smiling brightly, challenging Storm on his speed and each step he takes away from the ranch feels as if Zelda is a step closer to peace.

Out in the open field and miles away from anyone, Zelda lets out a scream of frustration that had been built inside her. "I hate you!" She screams out to no one in particular, perhaps it is to the world or to the gods that she had slowly stopped believing in. "Everyone single one of you and I don't care!" She laughs after that, resting her body against Storm's crest. "Well except for you," She sits up to pat Storm's neck. "And you know what else I hate?" She says, her face immediately changing shape, scrunching tightly in anger. "I hate my vocal chords! I hate the doctors and surgeons! I hate Daniel! And I hate his girlfriend!" She screams louder and can feel her throat burn as they begin to stretch but she does not care and this time, instead of tears of happiness from a sweet reunion they are tears from evil thoughts. "And I hate myself!" She lets out a final shout that only breaks halfway into small quiet words. "For being weak and for messing everything up." Her face is now against Storm's crest and she cries loudly without restrain while sobbing in ugly fits.

123

It isn't until the sun sets did Zelda remember the dinner. "Are ready to have a final sprint Storm?" She pats the horse as he raises his front legs to begin running. The ride back is like a dream that cannot be remembered, it is quiet and hazy. Zelda is still in a daze after her crying fest but content that she feels completely free.

Approaching Lon Lon Ranch, she can't see Edna or Talon and assumes they have gone to the barn but upon entering the large shed, there is not a human in sight until she hears muffled whispering. Letting her horse continue to walk down the path, the mystery of the whispering is solved when the tall man from before pokes his head from one of the stalls. "Oh, hello."

"Hey," Zelda greets him. "Just here to give Storm back." She says while climbing off of him.

"Oh yes, let me help you." The man shyly approaches Zelda and her horse. He takes Storm by his reins and guides them to his stall.

"What's your name?" Zelda asks.

"Fado… and you?"

"Zelda." There is a moment of silence. "Do you know where Edna and Talon went?"

"Inside the house, I'm sure." He says inside Storm's stall and takes off his reins.

"How old are you Fado?"

"17." He shyly glances at Zelda whose eyebrows are raised high. "I know," he blushes. "A lot of people tell me I look older." As he begins places the reigns down, he looks at Zelda. "How old are you missus?"

"23." She smiles softly as his eyebrows raise.

"I guess it's my turn to be surprised." He laughs while throwing the reigns over his shoulders casually. "You look 18 miss."

"I'm really flattered." She grins while watching Fado step out of the stall. Just as he's about to close the crossbar she stops him. "I'd like to say my quick goodbye first." She says and he leaves the two alone for their moment. Zelda steps into the stall and whispers sweet tidings into Storm's ears, reassuring him that she'll come back soon. As she walks out, she finds it difficult to stare away from the horse and almost wishes she didn't have this dinner planned out.

Closing the fence and turning the cross bar to a close, she sees Fado near the exit talking to another horse. "You're really gentle with animals." Zelda says, catching him off surprise. The man turns red, too shy to look at her as he scratches the back of his head.

"I find them better than humans. Animals don't judge you for the way you look, they just love you for who you are on the inside…" These words catch Zelda off guard. Here is a man, no, boy, she corrects herself, hurting.

"I wish I can tell you that the world gets better and that no one else will judge you but that would be lying." He finally looks at her. "I can't imagine what you've gone through. I've had-" She stops herself. "I _have_ a good life and though I may be hurting I know there are less fortunate people out there." These words spill out of her mouth, never realising in her lifetime that she is capable of saying this like these. "I don't know you Fado, that's true, but so far, I see a strong boy desperately trying to hold onto humanity despite their wrong doings. You work hard and you want to please people. Your strong and you're a survivor of the this cruel reality but that's what makes you a hero." She finally finishes and it is only after her words does she realise him to be quiet, his head is down and he remains unmoving. "I'm sorry, did I do something wrong?" She runs up to the boy to place a hand on his back. Fado shakes his head and finally gives her the biggest smile he has ever made in his lifetime.

"Thank you for those kind words. That is the most anyone has ever said to me." He says, now staring at Zelda. "Growing up in an orphanage, people would often expect me to be tough just because of the way I look. After the kids realised I didn't want to hurt anyone they began to make fun of me."

"Then you need to find other friends." She says, now in the moment of debating whether she should offer her friendship up. "I mean, I can be your friend." She says without thinking any further.

"Then can we talk more?"

"Yes, yes we can. I'll stop by often because I'm trying to fix my relationship with Storm. I'm sure we'll see each other."

"Thank you Zelda."

"You know, there are people who don't mind befriending you. You just have to get over your fear of judgement. Judging people comes naturally but we have to show them who we really are. Stay strong."

"I will," He nods. "Now you better get going before you miss your dinner party." He says, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"See you later Fado." She says as she steps out of the shed. The air is cold and pricks her tired body with energy. Is it right to give advice to a hurting person if you, yourself is hurting? She wonders but shakes it off at the sight of the home. Walking past the front porch and entering through the open door, she sees her grandmother and Talon talking in the living room. Whatever they are talking about must be serious because Talon looks like he's in a moment of concentration and his face is stiff with a twinge of sadness.

The two old people quickly wrap their conversation at the sound of Zelda's entrance. Both of them stand and Edna bids her farewell by kissing Talon's cheek. "Thanks again Talon." She says before exiting Lon Lon Ranch with Zelda.

Now inside the car, Talon is standing on his front porch and waves the two goodbye. At the corner of Zelda's eye she can see Fado's tall silhouette walking towards Talon. "What were you guys talking about?" Zelda asks once they're on the road.

"Stuff." Edna starts off. "You know the tall kid in the barn?"

"Yes."

"He's name is Fado and that's the boy he's considering of adopting. The problem is Talon is scared of what Malon might think. Things like, will she think I'm trying to replace her? A sudden member in the family. Concerns like that." Edna says completely choosing to not share the part where Talon had expressed his frustrations about Zelda.

"I had a serious talk with Fado too. He's a real great guy, broken and just needs someone to love and accept him. I think the adoption would do him and Talon good."

"Oh? What did you talk about?" Edna asks looking out the window and the sky is now purple with a mix of blue from the lack of sun. The stars also, join the beauty of the night and twinkle proudly, knowing that they are part of a masterpiece.

"I just encouraged him. I don't know what came over me. It must be you grandma." She laughs.

"That's good, I'm proud of you." And this time, with that simple complement, Zelda feels invincible. She feels as if her nana's approval is enough to battle against all the negative thoughts that had crawled their way up.

123

"What should I wear?" Zelda calls out to her grandmother. The old woman is wearing a nice blouse with khakis and is surprised when she sees many clothes laid out on Zelda's bed. Zelda's hair is wrapped up in a towel while the only thing that keeps her from being naked is her underwear and bra.

"Show me the outfits planned dear." Edna says as she steps inside and stands beside Zelda. The blonde woman leans forward and shows two possible combinations in the center of the mountains of clothing around it. One is a casual summer dress; another is a nice blouse with jeans.

"I like the dress." Edna says while staring at the pale red flowers on the white dress. "Why don't you wear this." The old woman exits and comes back with a grey cardigan. "It's cold outside in the night." She then passes it to Zelda who stares intensely at the cardigan. "It was your granddads. I remember you wanted this so badly and now, I guess it's yours… If you still want it."

"Of course I still want it nana!" She says quickly, placing it on her bed. Once slipping on the dress, she wears the cardigan while smoothening it down affectionately. She begins to admire the wool piece from the mirror inside the washroom. Wrapping it around herself tightly, she takes a small sniff and closes her eyes in content as her grandfather's scent is still faintly on it. "Well nana." Zelda says, now taking off the towel on her head. "How should I dress my hair?"

"Down like usual." Edna says while leaning against the door frame. What a fine girl she's grown up to be.

123

Zelda is abnormally nervous for this dinner. The drive there is mainly silent except for Zelda who would constantly mutter curses under her breath. Once they are parked in the almost empty parking lot for Stock Pot Inn, they don't leave immediately because Zelda checks her appearance in the mirror. "Why are you so agitated? It's just dinner with close friends." Edna asks, her hand on the door handle of the car.

"Your close friends nana. I still have to make a good impression on Mutoh and Grog, then there are the three." Her face heats up at the thought of Link. Geez, get him out of your head Zelda! She scolds herself.

"Relax dear, don't you know how beautiful you are?" At these words, Zelda stops adjusting her bangs to stare at her grandmother. The two share a smile. "Now let's go! I'm starved." Edna says, exiting the car. Zelda locks her car before jogging towards her grandmother. They link arms before walking towards the entrance of the Inn.

"Whoa is that a stable or something?" Zelda asks, pointing at the small shed in the corner of parking lot.

"Yes, horses are the most common way of transportation here." Edna says. The two huddle close as a cold wind blows by and thankfully, they are in front of the Inn. Zelda breaks their contact to open the door for her grandmother and soon rejoins her once they are inside.

The foyer is large as it welcomes you with a large staircase. Zelda's eyes trail up and can see the beautiful chandelier hanging from the ceiling that is covered with soft paintings of angels and clouds. The ground below is made of marble and Zelda feels that they have gone to the wrong area. "I don't think this is Stock Pot Inn." She whispers to her grandmother. Edna laughs and shakes her head.

"They've done lots of renovations since your last visit. Looks fancier eh?" Zelda nods, and the two walk up to the front desk where nobody is seated. Beside the front desk however are the familiar closed glass doors to the restaurant. Opening the handle slowly, everyone except for Grog stands from their seat to greet the two.

Zelda is relieved to know that the inside is still the same… mostly the same. Many of the wooden furniture have been glossed over, and the tall red velvet curtains are new additions. The tables have been moved and stacked on the sides so that in the center is the long table. At the left end of the table is Mutoh and on the right sat Grog. On Mutoh's left stood Aikya and on his right is Kafei. Beside Aikya is Mido, Saria and Link. There are two empty chairs in front of the Saria and Link; Zelda presumes that that is where she and her nana would sit.

"Good to see you." Anju says, walking up to her with open arms. She leans in to peck her cheeks.

"We aren't late are we?" Zelda whispers to Anju.

"The honoured guests are never late." We are so late, Zelda thinks, knowing well that that's just a nice way to say they're late. Anju guides the two to the table and pulls up the chair beside her own while Edna sits beside Zelda. Once the two sit, the rest follow all except for Anju, Kafei and Aikya who disappear behind the bar and into the kitchen. Their absence leave a suffocating silence in the room, even Mido who loves talking does not.

"So," Grog starts causing everyone to look at him. "You're Zelda right?" Zelda continues to stare at him as she places her water down from her little sip.

"Yes." She replies.

"Oh!" Mutoh interrupts Grog quickly. "It took me a while to realise who you are. You're the little girl who followed Gustaf everywhere!" Zelda smiles at the memory of her grandfather and nods at Mutoh. She's already beginning to like him, as Anju had explained in an e-mail once. It's easy to like Mutoh but it's his son that can be hard to connect to. "Oh I remember you were such a curious little one, I swear he had to keep you on a leash."

"Whoa, you're that Zelda?" Grog says. "Damn, you grew into such a hot little lady." The room stops breathing as they all stare at Grog for his inappropriate way of talking but Grog chooses to ignore their looks of disgust. "How's Jeffery? Oh man, I remember when that bastard and I got you stuck in a tree! You cried for hours." The people then look at Zelda, and even they are surprised to see her in such composure.

"He's doing well, thanks for asking." Zelda says, closing her eyes ever so gracefully before staring at Grog with full attention.

"Damn, does he still give you the good old torture pranks?" Zelda only gives him a small smile before answering back.

"No, we're really close actually."

"What?! Hell must have frozen over." Grog says then laughs.

"Not really, it's called talking things over and bonding."

"That's gay." Zelda stops herself from smacking her hand on the table and instead takes a deep breath before continuing to stare at Grog. He's smiling and he knows he's getting on her nerves.

"Not really, sharing feelings and bonding requires a lot of strength. Maybe you should try it sometime- Oh wait," Zelda pauses. "That might… never happen since you're a weakling." Then she finishes that off with the sweetest smile she can muster. The rest of the people cringed, expecting Grog to stand and cause a scene but he only laughs louder.

"Oh, you fight back, that's so hot." Thankfully Anju and company step out of the kitchen with dishes resting on their arm and begin going around, placing the plates on the table.

"For appetizers we have panko crusted crab cake." Anju says and when the three return to their seats, everyone begins to eat. A chorus of moans could be heard at the taste of the food.

"This is amazing." Zelda compliments.

"Anju, you have to give me the recipe." Saria says to the red head that has a large smirk on her face.

"Perhaps Saria, perhaps." Anju teases.

"And this is only an appetizer," Mido says. "I can't wait to eat the main dish."

"So Zelda," Mutoh starts before Grog could open his mouth. "How is Daphnes doing?"

"Yes," Edna adds. "When is my son coming to visit?" This causes everyone to laugh.

"Don't worry nana, he just needs to deal with one final bill but he says he's loves you and can't wait to see you." Zelda says. "As for how he is. He's doing well. He's actually planning on campaigning to become the president much later."

"Wow." Mutoh says. "That's amazing. I'm sure he'll do good."

"Well," Aikya begins to talk after some silence. "How is Dalta?" This time Zelda is a little unsure. Zelda had been very close with her mother when she was small but after the incident, she's pushed her mother so far back that she has no idea what she does.

"She's doing well." Zelda answers, not knowing of the seemingly long days Dalta must suffer in the mainly empty home; the moments of wanting to cry when Zelda only pushes her away or bites back claiming that she does not understand.

"And Jeffery, how is he?" Aikya asks.

"He's a little down right now. His girlfriend for seven years Jennifer, had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer."

"That's terrible."

"Yes but it's in the early stages. That's why he had to leave nana early to be with her. It's really sweet though because he had this whole plan of having the family here with Jen. He was going to fill the trail with Christmas lights which eventually leads to our old tree house where it's covered in lights. Once she climbs up, he'll be up there and play her a song then propose." The females in the room awe and sigh dreamily.

"I'd like to have some great grandchildren." Edna comments.

"I wonder when I'll get proposed to." Anju says, placing a hand on her cheek. Kafei nearly chokes on his food and Mido couldn't help but grin.

"You okay there buddy?" Mido asks and Kafei only glares at him as he drinks his water.

"Oh, time for the main course!" Anju says standing up with Kafei and Aikya. Before the three enter the kitchen, they collect everyone's empty plates. This time, their absence is welcomed.

"That's so cute!" Saria says. "I wish someone would propose to me like that." Zelda laughs at her comment and it's only Edna who notices Mido cringe.

"Dang," Grog says loudly causing Link to roll his eyes and Mido to groan. "He's going to have to commit to one pussy for the rest of his life."

"Grog!" Mutoh finally says. "We are at the dinner table and in front of guests. Please watch your language."

"Anything for you pops." Grog says, rolling his eyes. "Never knew he had it in him to keep it to one girl. Good for the fellow but-" He says, dragging the last word and interrupting his father who would try to talk over him. "out of that topic. Zelda what happened to you and Daniel? Tabloids went crazy over you two." Everyone watches for Zelda's reaction, expecting her to slowly shrivel up but she remains hard like a stone, not matter how badly she wants to shrivel up and die.

"Yes…" She starts off. "Good thing you're not famous," Zelda replies. "because there's probably going to be one magazine company devoted to your scandalous relationships." Saria holds back a giggle while everyone else tries not to smile.

"But seriously. You and Daniel. Did he get tired of your-"

"Grog!" This time it isn't Mutoh but Mido. "Shut your mouth nobody in here wants to hear you talk." There is a happy sigh and finally Anju, Kafei and Aikya come out with plates.

"This is lemony pea and rocket risotto with salmon steak." Anju says placing all the plates down. Again when every places it in their mouth they are amazed by its wild tastes.

"Zelda," Anju begins after hearing news from Mutoh who passed it through Kafei about Grogs attitude. She specifically starts talking upon seeing her step-brother open his mouth. "How is producing and directing?"

"Really good." Zelda replies, glad that Anju is talking to her. "The first steps were really challenging but the rest flow. It's really good that I have connections, they make it so much easier."

"And how is Malon?" Anju continues to ask. Zelda glances at Link, who despite him trying to not react, is clearly surprised.

"Good…" Zelda starts, poking her food than glances at Mido who is staring at Link. Ignorance is bliss, Zelda thinks, I should have never known! "She's a really good girl and came to the city with the right mindset. She was so excited and was very open to everything." Again, Zelda pokes her food and avoids the tension that the three sitting in front of her are making.

"How's all the," Anju takes a while to think of the word. "the recording and stuff?"

"Everyone loves her." Zelda looks at Anju. "She's so down to earth and really humble. She was so quiet in the beginning that they never expected such a strong voice from a little girl."

"Where does she stay?" Everyone in the room looks at Link and he tries to smile. "Since she didn't have any relatives or money when she entered the city." Zelda stares back at Link and while she too is smiling, on the inside, she feels his pain. She feels her pain and embarrassment of how she affected the two.

"She stayed with me, I gave her my apartment."

"Oh, that makes sense." He says. "Does she leave the apartment?" Link can't find the strength to keep staring at Zelda and so he looks at his food instead.

"Well duh," Zelda says, trying to laugh and lower the tension. "She isn't a prisoner."

"But I'm sure she has someone to go with? After all, the city can be dangerous."

"That I can agree on, the city has a lot of scary tragedies but Malon always has someone to escort her. Don't worry." The last two words had slipped off of her tongue and she almost wants to slap her mouth close.

"I'm not worried…" Link whispers but only Saria hears it.

"How's the music?" Aikya asks. "You must have written all the songs, I still remember the song you and Anju wrote when you were little girls."

"Mama…" Anju blushes, feeling embarrassed.

"I did write most of it but Malon wrote some of her own, and some of my own song writers had contributed too."

"So all these things, is that what you do now that your voice is gone?" Grog asks, causing the room to groan again. Saria turns her head to stare daggers at Grog while Anju desperately hopes that her wide eyes tell him that this is a very sensitive topic and shouldn't be touched at all. But he knows that already, he enjoys torturing the people who have gone too long living a good life.

"Yes." Zelda answers simply.

"How did it happen?" Zelda continues to stay calm and composed, she's had other interviews asking this question.

"The surgeons messed up on the surgery. The vocal chords are really sensitive, they are so small and I knew the percentage."

"but out of everyone they had to fuck up on yours?"

"Yes." Zelda says before Mutoh scolds the man again.

"But how did you get it to be fuc- messed up in the first place?" Grog continues, ignoring his father.

"Over singing. I ended up getting vocal fold nodule; it's when layers of skin grow over your vocal chords. They're like calluses and I was desperate enough to get surgery."

"That sucks." For once the whole room could agree with Grog. It really does suck, Zelda wants to say but does not. "I saw a movie, though, of you singing."

"More like sing talk." She places a pea in her mouth, reflecting on the tiny songs that had no range. She'd sung one in a movie where she stared as the main character.

"What's losing your voice feel like?" He continues to ask. It takes Zelda a while to think of something but when she does, the room is completely silent. There isn't even the clanging of utensils on plates. They were curious too.

"It's like losing an arm or a leg. If you're a painter, it's like losing both hands. If you're an athlete it's like losing your legs. You so desperately want to join the others as they run around you or paint around you. There is a feeling," Zelda places her utensils down to have a hand over her heart. "a feeling that kills you slowly and sometimes you forget you've lost it and when you join, you fall so hard. So hard that despite how badly you bleed and no matter how everyone in the world tries to sympathize, you smile because you know they can never understand. It's the skill that's raised you over the clouds and without it, you find yourself falling faster and faster, wondering we're you'll end up." She stops and stares hard at her half eaten food before looking straight Grog. The man is neither surprised nor sad but he is still and his mind is in deep thought. "But yes." She says, catching his attention. "that is what it feels like."

Ever so gracefully she resumes eating. "This is delicious Anju," Zelda compliments the girl but Anju cannot find the proper words to say as she fights against her own tears. This is her best friend and knowing that she's helpless to understand or do anything makes her more upset. If I feel like this, Anju thinks, I can't imagine how her family feels.

"I think it's time to bring the deserts." Aikya says after a long moment of silence. She stands and is followed by Kafei and Anju. The silence continues and it feels like eternity before the three come back. "This is Mojito cheesecake," Aikya introduces as she places the glass cups in front of the guests.

Despite its appetizing aroma and look, there is hardly anyone that eats it except for Zelda.

"Why don't you sing something?"

"Grog!" Everyone nearly jumps off their seat at the sound of a hard slap against the table. Heads turn to Link who is up from his seat and his hands are on the table.

"It's alright Link." Zelda says softly, and the two share a long stare before he takes a seat. "I will play something, thanks for suggesting it." She stares at Grog before whispering in Anju's ear. Anju cracks a small smile before standing and leaving the room. Zelda also stands and walks to the upright piano at corner, on the same wall the door to the foyer is.

"Here let me get you a microphone. Maybe you'll be encouraged to sing." Grog says, jumping off his seat and Saria had to hold back Link.

Zelda lays a hand over fall board, wiping the dust off the wood. She's focusing and does not notice Grog's presence while he sets the mic stand down. Breath Zelda, she calms herself before pulling the fall board up to reveal the white and black keys. Touching the keys, she's glad that it's tuned. She pulls the piano bench out and sits down, playing a simple song and stops when she sees a microphone in front of her that's held by the stand. "What are you doing?" She asks, and this question is caught by the mic and is amplified.

"Inspiring you." Grog gives her a wicked smile before jumping off the stage. Filled with anger Zelda decides not to take it out on the mic or waste her breath on cursing the man but to show off her immense skill. She begins shifting in her chair until she is comfortable before sitting straight and taking a deep breath, she begins Beethoven's _"Moonlight" Sonata op 27 #2 Mov 3._ The fast music fills the room and its quick playing leaves everyone awestruck, every key that she plays is a large middle finger to Grog who had made her angrier than any paparazzi could ever.

Their hearts are soaring with Zelda's and she closes her eyes as her fingers glide automatically to the keys. The hatred and pain she felt during this night are now flowing out of her fingertips. Emotion creates the most beautiful pieces. She slams the keys harder and her fingers begin to move faster trying to hit all the notes. She scales up the board, slams her hands down to the appropriate chords. The pride that she feels for herself is oozing out of her body, suffocating the room silent.

Thankfully, before Zelda breaks any of the strings, Anju steps inside and the door slams shut causing Zelda to stop playing and everyone else to wake from their daze. She rushes towards the stage and fumbles with the papers in her hands. She stares awkwardly at the microphone and points at it questioningly. Zelda notions towards Grog and Anju rolls her eyes. Anju instead changes the mic so it stands comfortable tall for her height.

"Okay so, I'm going to be Zelda's voice but Edna this song is for you." All heads turn to look at the shocked old woman. "This is a song that Zelda wrote just after her last visit. All I've done was look over it and suggest some things. She really means this for you, I'm going to apologize right now if I mess up. I'll warn you first that these vocal-" She looks at the music sheets in hand. "This song has crazy vocal jumps so I'll probably- no, will go into my falsetto unlike Zelda who could belt and sing these notes perfectly. Don't let me hinder you from truly understanding this song…" Anju then looks at Zelda and nods her way.

Zelda begins playing the piano, the simple chords fill the room. They're heavy and slow, already creating the emotion for the night and soon the piano is joined by words. "_Everybody needs inspiration, everybody needs a song. A beautiful melody when the nights are long." _Anju begins. "_cause there is no guarantee that this life is easy_." And the piano guides them into the strong chorus. "_When my world is falling apart, when there's no light to break up the dark that's when I, I, I look at you." _Anju continues to look at Edna, hoping so desperately that she can portray her friend's message. Opening her arms, she finds the courage to continue without needing to look at the lyrics.

Edna who in a lose of tears, breaks down as memories flood in her head. She tries to hold back her sobs as a young version of Zelda blur over the image of Anju and the voice of Zelda's overlap Anju. "_When I look at you I see forgiveness, I see the truth, you love me for who I am…"_ All the emotions weigh her down and by the time the chorus runs again, Edna can't hold back her sobs anymore. She feels a hand running over her back as a person tries to comfort her. "_When my world is falling apart, when there's no light to break up the dark, that when I, I, I look at you." _

Zelda is now leading into bridge and is reminded of her grandmother's kindness, humility and great love. This makes her smile and again, the lyrics explain everything. "_You appear like a dream to me, just like kaleidoscope colours that cover me. All I need, every breath that I breathe. Don't you know you're beautiful?" _Zelda continues to play, her mind is blocked with thoughts of the last visit and her relationship with her grandmother. She was never sure when she'd be able to play this song because no matter how badly she wanted to sing it herself, she can't. But playing it now gives Zelda peace because she's glad that her grandmother can hear the song that sums up everything she feels towards her before she dies. Just know how much you mean to me… Zelda hopes. _"When the waves are flooding the shore, and I can't find my way home anymore, that's when I, I, I look at you."_ She's now one step closer to accepting that her grandmother can't stay on this earth and no matter how hard it will be, Zelda will be able to survive thanks to her grandmother. "_You appear just like a dream to me_…" Anju finishes and soon the piano does too.

The room is dead silent as Edna chokes on her tears. Zelda stands and waits. The woman turns around, approaches her grandmother and gives her a long hug. The crowd breaks into claps.

"I'll give that one to you," Grog says loudly. "You actually are good." Zelda stops and walks to Grog. She raises her hand and gives him a hard slap.

"I think dinner gone on for too long." Zelda turns around quickly to take her grandmother's hand. Before Aikya could stop them, Mutoh shakes his head at his wife and lets the girls leave. After all, he would want too as well after everything Grog had done.

"Please son, do you want to talk?" Grog who still has a hand on his cheek, gives his father a small hurt smile before exciting the room himself. If nobody believes he's strong enough to talk or worth enough to be listened to, what was the point of trying?

123

"Please dear, slow down." Edna says and Zelda does. "That was beautiful, you shouldn't let him agitate you like that." Zelda who is in shock, let's go of her grandmother's hand and turns to face her.

"Don't let him agitate you like that? Seriously? After all he said? Do you know what he was doing? He was intentionally trying to hurt me and he did nana!" She begins pacing in the empty parking lot. "I never knew I could get this angry, he's made me angry. I just wanna!" She raises a closed fist and punches her other hand. "I mean, worst dinner ever! You can't, like, invite someone just to torment them!"

"He's hurting too, that's why he hurts other people."

"Why are you defending him? I'm your granddaughter?!"

"Because no one else will and Zelda I'm not against you. Dear, I love you very much. Remember when you were hurting, you drove everyone away? That's what he's doing too."

"I-I" But Zelda can't find the words and just stops in her tracks. "I'm still angry but I'm not going to say anymore." Offering her arm for Edna.

"Restraining isn't good either." Edna says, wrapping her hand over Zelda's arm.

"Then what do you want me to do?"

"Forgive him."

"That's hard."

"It will take time but I know you're strong enough." They approach the car, and once they are inside, Edna is able to say: "Thank you for that dear. That song will forever be engraved in my heart." And truths like these calm Zelda for the road ahead.

* * *

Alright, I was going to go until the morning walk with Anju…. But uhm, its already 8k words and I'd like to keep my chapters around 5-7k. Yes, tonight was a crazy night. So much emotions…. (I realised that there is crying in every chapter… hopefully I'm not overusing it.) But yeah, this is hurt and comfort so you're going to get that a lot. Haha… Not a lot of Zelink… (The malon bits were really awks) but don't worry, there will be in the next chapta! I kind of calculated how many chapters it will take to finish this 'book' and it will take 10 or 9 chapters. So this is chapter four, just six more to go! Wooo.

Hopefully this chapter is good enough cause I'm a little iffy on it's content. but here ya are. Let me know what you think please. :)

Songs do not belong to me or Zelda.

_When I look at you _is sung by Miley Cyrus and is written by John Shanks and Hilary Lindsey.

As for Zelda's situation, she experienced the same thing as our beloved Julie Andrews. :(

Respond to Reviews:

Burning book: ….

Enema: Thank you dear but no.

Iranda: Thanks so much!

Panda Reader: hahha, thanks.

Alice: Oui Oui (yes yes). I do have some direction. lol.

Thanks for the follows and favourites. :D God Bless.


	5. Run

_**Chapter Five: Run**_

Zelda opens her eyes, realising that she had embarrassingly blanked out for a few seconds. She raises her head and sees that she is sitting at a dinner table. The room is dark and there is a single bulb above the table used to light the dining room. The people sitting are familiar but she can't place a name on them and does not know why. On her right sits a tiny woman, she's fragile looking. Her back is slightly curved and her face has many wrinkles, mainly those of smiling ones but this night she is not smiling. Her eyes aren't present, over where her eyes should be, a layer of skin is. The skin is pushed in to create dark shadows as all the others around her share that same quality.

Fearful, Zelda looks away and stares only at the untouched food on her plate. A hand lightly touches her back and she is forced to face the redhead.

"Are you alright?" The woman asks. Zelda nods and looks away, hoping to disappear. She can hear sounds of different conversations all involved and excited but she can't make out the words except for the one man sitting at the end of the table. She turns her head slightly so the corner of her eye can stare at him. He's laid back with a single foot rested on the seat and his hair is gelled up. He is smiling while cursing, judging and making fun of everyone. For too long she stares and eventually he realises. He faces her and begins insulting her freely.

Zelda looks around hoping desperately that someone would stand up for her. She stares at their soulless faces, their mouths are shut but she can hear quick whispers, questioning and encouraging her next moves. Suddenly, her body moves on its own. She stands, opens her mouth as words of anger and hate spew out of her soul and into the boys ears. His mask of neutrality falls off as he sobs quietly while she continues to shout at him. His cries become louder but the crowd of cheering people drown out his sorrows.

The feeling of guilt does not touch Zelda until the end when she can no longer see him because the people begin to surround her. They raise her above their heads and chant her name. She tries to find the man she had insulted but his chair is empty and the old lady is the only one in the room not cheering but observing the chair. Then, the old lady and Zelda share a moment's glance before Zelda finds herself on the table, alone. There is no one in the room and the single bulb above her head turns off.

There isn't complete darkness but a cool tone of dark blue as the moonlight shines past the tall windows and into the dining room. Zelda is able to see a dark puddle on the chair glisten and glow under the moon's reflection of the sun. The liquid grows until it oozes off the chair slowly, dripping onto the rug and in short moments, fills the room with its presence. Zelda stands on the table, screaming for help when a man appears at the end of the table. He's different from the dinner party crowd but his presence is comforting.

"Come with me Zelda." He says, raising an open hand. She does not know who he is; nothing of his appearance strikes her as familiar. He is the only one with a pair of eyes, dark brown ones that seem to hold the world.

"How do you know me?" She asks softly.

"I've known you all your life." The moment their fingertips touch, the world around her shatters like glass to reveal a world filled with light under all that darkness. Overwhelmed by the brightness, Zelda pulls her hand back to cover her eyes. She kneels into a ball hoping that the light and its growing warm would not burn her. Completely filled with peace, her inner being is able to soar but her outside can feel the heat oppress her.

"Stop!" She screams. She dares not open her eyes but she can hear sounds fill the room. It starts with a single chatter and soon multiplies. Her head is still down but she finds the courage to open her eyes, staring at the cement floor. No longer feeling the heat, she raises her head slowly and loses breath at the sight of people walking past her as if she does not exist. They all walk in unimaginable speed and the thousands are squeezed together, shuffling for any small room they have. She lays one hand on the ground to raise herself but her legs shake violently and she loses her strength.

Without a notice, hands from behind raise her from her armpits. Once she's standing, she turns around quickly, hoping to see who it was but the crowd of people continue to walk too quickly, blocking her path and encasing her in the tiny space of stillness. Stunned and not knowing what her goal is, she stays standing, wondering what she is doing here… back in the city.

The tall buildings seem to curve around her, the top of the buildings touch the top of another, across from it and this creates a dome over Zelda. It blocks the view of the clear blue sky but most important, it blocks the sun. Sudden determination fills Zelda and she finds herself pushing through the crowd without a care of what the others think. The shift in this world causes the others to finally notice the once invisible girl. "Isn't that Zelda?" They ask themselves. Soon Zelda no longer needs to push as the crowd voluntarily moves for her. She continues walking, hoping to ignore them despite how loud they are getting. "Where are you going Zelda?" She hears a question stand out from the crowd. "We need to know what your end goal is so we can move out of the way for you." She soon realises that she is walking in circles, the same signs repeat and soon the faces do too.

Too busy staring at the faces, the next step she takes causes her heart to skip a beat and for her too lose breath. The foot that finds no solid ground drags the rest of her body down into the dark hole. She screams, staring up at the crowd who draw close to watch her helplessly wave her arms up. As she's falls faster, she can no longer see the start of the hole and whatever light it had left.

She stops quickly in the air and there is a hard thud heard below her, and looking down she sees herself unmoving on the cement ground. She looks around, it's a small room, the walls are of scraps of metal nailed to each other and a single small window near the ceiling creates a stage light on a body crouched in a ball. The dark shadow twitches violently and in fear, Zelda tries to awaken the Zelda that is laid on the floor. She tries to open her mouth to scream as the body shakes faster but her mouth is glued shut. Her jaw moves around in vain attempts to open her mouth so instead she taps the unconscious Zelda harder.

In the quiet room, a single whisper is joined with many others. The voices get louder and louder, buzzing around Zelda. She can hear her own heartbeat, feel the sweat trickle down her head and no matter how much she wants to stop looking at the shaking dark figure, her eyes are glued to it. She taps the area beside her to make sure that the unconscious Zelda is there but she does not feel her. She turns her head and sees that the unconscious Zelda is gone. The whispers are so loud and layered that they are deafening. She turns her head back to the direction of the figure but instead is greeted by two dark orbs staring right back at her.

And in the moment of utter fear, she screams loudly. Her fear covers the pain of her glued mouth being ripped open. In response, the dark figure jumps back into the light, screaming like a banshee of its own. Its body disperse in black smoke to reveal the unmoving body of Grog covered with a pool of blood around him. His head is turned away from Zelda but she knows that familiar hairstyle. She finds the courage to stand and walk to him. Now that she is closer, she can see the many cuts on his wrists flowing with blood.

"Murderer." It's Grog's voice.

"No." She says. Why is he talking? He's dead, he's not moving.

"You killed me." The voice says, bouncing off in the small room. "YOU. KILLED. ME!" And the head of Grog's snaps towards Zelda's direction, twisting his neck. She can hear his bones crack, his eyes are dark abysses and he opens his mouth to reveal a dark hole if its own. The mouth opens and closes quickly; she can hear laughing along with the chant of murder.

"No!" She forces herself to repeat, hoping that the truth of his words would be washed away with her own lie. "I didn't do anything!" The body continues laughing and shaking until it melts, merging with the pool of red thick blood underneath. Raising her head, she sees that the walls have been splattered with blood and writings of obscenity. "Someone please!" Zelda screams, tears spilling out of her eyes when finally, a door appears in front of her. She runs to it, pulls it open and is blinded shortly from the bright light.

"Why did you do it?" A microphone is shoved near her face. There are many clicks from the cameras as crowds pushes against her. There are no guards to keep her safe and past the crowd she can see her family. She screams out for them but one by one, they walk away, revealing the old lady from earlier.

"Help me nana!" She screams but her grandmother only shakes her head.

"I told you Zelda, why didn't you give him a chance?" And soon Edna walks off, not looking back at her granddaughter who goes limp. A shot of cold runs from the small of her back and spreads throughout her body, forcing her body to remain still and unmoving. She watches the back of her grandmother become smaller and soon allows the crowd to claw her away into the darkness.

123

Zelda's eyes open with a gasp for air. She takes a few minutes to regain the normal pattern of breathing and places a heavy hand over her sweaty head. She turns to her left and moves the thick blankets away from her before she raises a tired arm to turn on the laptop that is seated on the side table. When the loading screen appears, Zelda sits up and takes the blankets to cover her like a turtle. She still can't forget the dream no matter how many times she tries to fill her head with other thoughts, the nightmare always comes back. She runs a hand through her silky blonde hair and ties her hair up, allowing the cool early morning breeze to touch the back of her neck gently.

Dreams are supernatural illusions that Zelda can't seem to control unlike the many other things she has the ability to control. She crosses her legs, rests an elbow on her thigh so she can rest her head on her palm. She's still frightened by what she remembers; the melting puddle of blood and body and the thought of abandonment from her own family.

Despite whatever warning the dream told her, she still dislikes Grog but from now on will try to avoid any form of bullying because no matter how badly someone acts, nobody deserves to be hurt to the point of death and she had bullied him last night. He's hurting, just like Edna had said before and as much as Zelda loves helping people, she'd rather let someone else help him.

Her eyes refocus on the screen of her computer because the colour has changed from black to the cool colour of blue. She types her long password before turning to the internet to check her email and is surprised that none of her co-workers had messaged her. She grins as she begins thinking of her co-workers. They had kept their word that they wouldn't bother her but she made sure to email Clare, one of the co-directors to reassure her that they can bother Zelda if there is anything that needs to be done. Turning off her laptop, she takes a quick shower before heading downstairs.

Like all her other mornings in the country, she is invited by the warm smell of pancakes. She walks down the hall and into the kitchen where her grandmother is placing the last batch of pancakes on a plate. "Morning," Zelda says and greets her with a quick kiss on her cheek.

"Morning dear." Edna greets back. "How was your sleep?" Zelda wonders if she should tell her grandmother her dream but decides against it. It's something she'd like to forget and the first thing of forgetting is to never bring it up… ever. Zelda stands beside her to reach for the plates on the top cabinets. After arranging the small table, Zelda goes into another cabinet to get syrup, then in the fringe to get orange juice.

"It was good." She lies then notices the stick leaning beside her grandmother. "Hey what's that?" Zelda asks as she walks past her grandmother to the table. She sets the juice down before turning around to take the long stick leaning against the cabinet beside her grandmother. "Since when did you use a cane?" She asks, her voice high in concern as she raises and examines the glossy stick.

"Relax dear." Edna says, turning off the stove and taking the pancakes to the table. "I use it on those rare mornings when my legs don't feel like working." She lies, often these 'rare' mornings where very normal and sometimes it would hurt so bad that she'd have to stay in bed. Then call a friend who would most likely be older than her because old people don't gossip as much as the young people. They'd take care of her and as they help her sit up to travel to the bathroom, Edna stays quiet, filled with shame and embarrassment wishing that she wasn't so old.

"Not working? Why? Did you get it checked?" Zelda asks, and leans it on the table near her nana.

"I did get it checked; it just comes with being old." Edna lies again.

"Well, you're the doctor…" Zelda says as she sits across from her nana. "I trust you." She smiles and this pains Edna who is forced to smile back. "So, I plan on visiting Storm before I head over to Anju for lunch, wanna come along?" She tries to hold back a feeling of vomit as her grandmother squeeze the heavy, dark coloured liquid on the pancakes and shakes her head as her grandmother offers her some. Edna places the syrup near Zelda's plate, after all, Zelda loves syrup.

"Oh no," Edna says and can already see Zelda's concern raising. "My girls are coming over because we're going to be knitting."

"Really? What for?"

"The county fair, we're going to sell some." Edna smiles before taking a bite of her pancake.

"Alright but remember, if you need me to do anything I'm just a phone call away."

123

Zelda is now in the car after a long ride with Storm. She waves goodbye to Fado and as she drives off, she can see in the rear mirror that he is walking off with another fellow worker who's around the same age. She taps her hand against the wheels and can't shake off the feeling that something is wrong with her grandmother. So instead of staying on the road, she takes a right, headed for her home.

Once she's in the driveway, she steps outside and walks quietly to the door. She's embarrassed by her ways of trying to sneak but she continues her ways as she opens the screen door slowly. She then enters, taking small footsteps but upon her enter, she is greeted by a chorus of voices from the living room. She steps into the living room and can see that it is crowded with older women, some young, all knitting away.

"You must be Zelda." One says.

"You've grown up to such a beautiful lady."

"You look like your mother."

Zelda smiles and thanks them for their compliments before saying: "I just wanted to check up on nana to see if she's okay." The ladies glance at Edna who nods.

"Don't worry about me dear, head over to Anju's."

"Alright, I'll see you later." Zelda says, staring at her grandmother for a long time before leaving. Still, she couldn't shake off that horrible feeling and the the thought of her grandmother abandoning her.

123

Zelda is starving. She didn't expect horseback riding to be so tiring and so the excitement from the anticipation of seeing Anju doubles. Now that she is no longer filled with the thoughts of Storm, the nightmare sets in her head. Feeling the need to escape it, she puts more weight on the gas pedal and arrives at the town a few minutes earlier. The parking lot is a little fuller that it had been last night, but it is the barn shed in the corner that is really full. She walks to the right side of the building where a path leads people to the entrance, and she's nervous about seeing Grog. She did know from Anju's past emails that he is in charge of checking people in and if she's to walk into the restaurant, she'll have to go through him first.

Stepping inside, a cold wind from the air conditioner greets her and allows her to ease her body at the sight of Grog. He glances up from his magazine, a magazine that is well known for creating lies or exaggerating truths in order to gain more viewers. Zelda's friends who are famous have sued that company more often than the others; it's still a surprise how they are still selling. On the cover there is a large picture of Malon walking beside Zelda in a headline saying "Zelda gone Lesbian?!" The other titles weren't so great either for they are obvious lies but admittingly, she'd be curious enough to read them too. "Facade is engaged?", "Ruto's stalker reappears and confesses of Ruto's abusive behaviour" and finally "The truth about the Indigo-Go's lead vocalist's baby".

"Oh, if it isn't Zelda." Grog says, placing his magazine down. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm just wondering where Anju is."

"She's just in the kitchen." He says, pointing at the door beside the desk before going back to the magazine, raising it higher than how a normal person should read. Zelda forces herself to ignore the bright title and continues to her destination.

The restaurant, unlike last night, is lit with natural light from the tall windows. The tables are all scattered and filled. There are waiters using rollerblades to travel around, one stops in front of Zelda and asks her how many seats she plans on having. "Just one." Zelda responds, and the lady points at an empty bar chair. Once she's seated, Anju steps out of the kitchen with one hand raised to balance the tray over her head.

She sees Zelda and gives her a smile before placing the plates down for the people sitting at the bar. "One moment hun," Anju says to Zelda before going back to the kitchen. She re-enters the banquet, this time with no name tag or apron. "Hey Zelda, we'll eat and then go." She says while placing two sandwiches down on the table.

"Excuse me miss," One man leans on the bar beside Zelda to signal Anju.

"Sorry sir, I'm currently not working, let me get-" But before Anju could signal someone else to assist him, a female approaches the man and signals him to another area. "Let me get a stool," Anju leaves Zelda in search of a stool tucked under the bar and then places it right across from Zelda. She sits down and the two begin eating. "Did you see Grog's magazine?" Anju asks after she's finished chewing and swallowing.

"Yes I did," Zelda says, looking down at her plate.

"He read that issue before; it's been months since he pulled it out." Anju rolls her eyes. "He's using that to annoy you."

"At least he didn't talk to me like he did last night."

"Oh my gosh!" Anju says, remembering. She places a hand over her mouth and looks at Zelda with glossy eyes. "I'm so sorry Zelda! I never expected him to be so rude. Dad-" Anju stutters with that word. "told me everything."

"Don't worry. I admit, I wanted to give him his own torturing but nana is right. He's hurting, we're all hurting. Doesn't mean I'm going to suddenly kiss his ass, instead I'm just going to ignore him and only make light conversation. Someone else can help him, I'm not doing it." She says confidently, pushing away the thoughts of a dead Grog.

"Hah, good plan but now I feel like I should reach out to him, even though I don't want to. You thirsty?" Anju asks.

"Yes I am; can I have water?"

"Sure thing." Anju rises from her seat and calls for two glasses of water through the kitchen hole and comes back to the bar with cold glasses. Anju watches Zelda with a raised eyebrow as the girl finishes the water in only a few gulps. "What did you do? Starve yourself of water?" Anju asks, standing from her seat to get a tall pitcher of water from a fridge.

"Went horseback riding."

"Aw, how is Storm?" Anju asks, pouring water into Zelda's cup.

"Real good and healthy. Talon really did his best to keep him well."

"You know this kid named Fado works for him?" Anju asks, taking her seat. She takes another bite of her sandwich, watching Zelda nod. "That kid," Anju starts, dabbing her mouth with a napkin. "is not even an adult but he's so tall! Poor kid though, when he comes by, he's always sitting alone and stares off into space. I try to make conversation with him but he's not really responsive."

"That's because he thinks your mean." Zelda says, placing a fist in front of her mouth to block out her small burp. "It's because you work at a restaurant and inn. You apparently get all the juicy details and he has heard you… occasionally gossip with people. He thinks everyone is talking behind his back unkindly so he puts up this shield so he won't get hurt." Zelda wipes her mouth with a tissue before throwing it on her empty plate.

"I talk to people occasionally but I try not to gossip or share details that might hurt others…" Anju sighs. "I'll make more of an effort to talk to him. I mean, everyone talks about his height but I don't think we talk unkindly about him. Perhaps, pity him."

"He doesn't like that either." Anju raises an eyebrow.

"Since when do you know his likes and dislikes?"

"Since I've became his friend." Zelda smirks causing Anju to open her mouth in surprise.

"Since when?"

"Since yesterday after a ride with Storm. We kind of clicked, I understood, at least some of what he was going through and found my way opening his shell through our common fear. I've given him advice and I'm sure he'll become more responsive now." Eventually they finish and Anju takes both their plates into the kitchen while Zelda makes a quick break to the washroom. The two reunite in the lobby and Anju is holding a plastic bag. "What's that?" Zelda asks, opening the entrance door for Anju.

"I've just got to drop off lunch for Kafei."

"Cute."

"It's no big deal. It's kind of how we see each other throughout our busy schedule. He's away helping his dad in the office and I'm busy taking care of the inn." Kafei being the son of the mayor. "So, you want to walk or take the horse?" Anju asks once their outside.

"Well how far is it?"

"Just up of town." Anju says, pointing at the largest building in the center of town. "And the forest is just behind that."

"It doesn't look that far, let's walk."

"Alright." The town is full of people, old and young, fat and thin but the townspeople share a common heart and mind. Every person they pass would usually greet them with a simple hi or raise their hat. This made tourists easy to spot and usually they would run to Zelda and ask for an autograph. "Please try not to inform anyone of my location." She says after she's finished signing some sort of item. They would promise and leave while some would try to start a conversation, hoping to become more than a fan.

"We have to go." Anju informs a young 20 year old male who keeps itching closer to Zelda. They can see the town hall just a street away, and Kafei's lunch is getting cold. "Sorry mate." Anju says, dragging Zelda away from the man. They don't look back until they reach the outside staircase for the building.

"Thanks for the save Anju." Zelda says, looking behind to make sure the guy is out of sight.

"I thought you knew how to sneak away from fans."

"But that guy was creepy. I was paranoid that if I did anything to get him angry he'll come for me or expose my location."

"You're probably right." Anju says, opening the door for Zelda. "Did you see how close he was getting? He kept trying to touch your hand or something." They laugh as they step inside. Their voices sound louder in the large room and this grabs the attention of the receptionist. The female has freckles and green hair, and at the sight of Anju and Zelda, her lips curve downwards.

"Good afternoon Anju and…"

"Zelda." Zelda responds.

"Oh, well Kafei is wondering where you are." The female forces herself to smile and points to the right. "I'm sure he's over there somewhere."

"Thanks Julie." Anju smiles back but before the girls can turn to their right Kafei runs in from the left. He looks much different from the times Zelda would see him. His hair is gelled back and his attire is pressed and clean. His white dress shirt is tucked under his blank pants that give the illusion that he's taller.

"Anju!" He says loudly, walking to her with open arms. Anju greets him with a long hug and he gives her a light kiss on her cheek. Zelda can see Julie's face scowl, clearly she's jealous. "I was wondering where you were, I was getting hungry." He says, letting go of her to look at her face. "Everyone was telling me that I should go get food but I knew you'd come."

"I'm sorry dear, it's just that Zelda had some fans on the loose." Anju rolls her eyes hoping to get a laugh out of Kafei but instead his cheerful expression turns into concern.

"They didn't follow you back here did they?" Kafei asks, still looking at Anju.

"No I'm fine." Zelda responds, but no one can hear her.

"Why don't you stay and eat with me?" Kafei suggests as he takes the bag from her hand.

"I have plans with Zelda." Anju then looks over to her best friend.

"Alright, be safe." And the couple share one last hug before Anju rejoins Zelda's side. They say goodbye to Kafei and Julie then leave.

"You two are lovely together." Zelda grins, staring down as they jog down the stairs. "But I think that Julie girl does not like you two one bit."

"Oh she told me." Anju says. "When I first started delivering food to Kafei, she told me straight away that I wasn't going to win but look at the time. Geez, we've been together for how long? Three years?" The girls laugh and soon turn to go north for the forest. "She's a little older than Kafei and knew him since they were both children. Apparently she took up receptioning to spend more time with Kafei. Too bad he didn't fall in love with her."

"Too bad? You mean good." Zelda says. "But wow, you've been together for three years and you never told me until a year ago?"

"Hello, you were going under surgery. What? I'm just going to send my friend an email saying 'Oh, wooptiedoo Zelda look at me, I got me a boyfriend and ain't he lovely?'" The girls laugh.

"You're right, you're right. I do appreciate the supportive message; I would have gotten upset if you talked about any form of relationship…" After some silence and after a crowd of laughing children run past them, Anju asks: "How are you and Daniel?" Zelda grins, trying to hide her hurt and to soften the stinking in her eyes.

"We haven't talked since I found out."

"That's not good, you both need proper closure." Anju says, looking straight ahead.

"Maybe we can both forget about what we had." Zelda shrugs, staring at the ground. She takes a deep breath and raises her head. They're near the entrance of the forest and must walk through a parking lot.

"I don't think that's how you forget properly." Anju says, looking at Zelda. She waits for a group of people to walk by before continuing with what she'd say. "You can always cage it in the back of your mind but soon those bars will rust and the cage will fall apart. That way, they'll just come back and haunt you and by then you'll be too old and tired to confront your demons. Besides." Anju says, looking straight ahead and watches a group of pigeons fly away from the two approaching. "What you had with Daniel, you can't simply forget. You've known each other since… I don't know, for the majority of your life. I understand that it might be really awkward but you're best friends."

"Well what do I say?" Zelda asks, now seeing cement thin into a dirt trail. The trees around them become thick and the light from above give the area the colour of soft green. "Oh, how are you. Sorry about pushing you away, I think we need a proper breakup."

Anju laughs. "The apology part is good, the end. I don't know." A group of bikers past them, screaming and hollering and continue to go full speed after they pass the girls. "The end is true, but maybe you should say it in a different way. You shouldn't bring up the magazine, I mean, finding out through a magazine sucks but I'm sure he knows how horrible it is."

"Of course he does, he was trying to hide his relationship during my recover period!" Zelda can remember sitting on the hospital bed, staring through the window at the crowd of fans holding signs with encouraging words. They had so many flowers sent to the hospital that the hospital had a garden on the roof. She had been silent all month and pushed everyone except for a selective few away. Impa was one of them, and Impa being a very intolerant girl of Zelda's unwanted attitude, threw a magazine on her lap to catch her attention. "Façade Cheats and Reveals his Reasons for Leaving Zelda."

"He said a lot of things." Impa had told her, referring to the article in the magazine. "A lot of thinks that sound like a checklist and I'm starting to check mine. Now, unlike Daniel, I can't just leave you. I admit, you're one of my only friends and I don't want to lose you." Impa confessed. This caused Zelda to raise her head slowly and stare at the strong female crumble. "You're rude and cranky, you're being selfish. I can't understand how you're feeling but please. Let us in." At the moment, Zelda felt guilty but it was soon replaced by anger. I'm the victim, Zelda wants to shout, how dare you accuse me of these things.

"Get out."

"No." Impa says.

"Get out now!" Zelda shouts taking a vase of flowers her mother had given her beside her table to throw it at Impa. "Get out!" A group of nurses then pinned Zelda down before she could grab anything else to throw and escorted Impa out. Later when she had calmed, she read the magazine and knew the truth of her cruel ways but instead of trying to understand him, she hordes a hate for him. Promising that she'd never forgive him for leaving her at a sensitive time and ignores the right side of her mind that tries to remind her of his unwavering visits, constant gifts, constant calls, and constant text messages that Zelda chose to ignore.

"He was hurting too." Anju says, snapping Zelda back into reality. They are now deeper into the forest and Zelda finds that she is in unfamiliar territory. "I don't want to be rude and make it seem like I'm attacking you but I think both of you were at fault. I mean, you pushed away but he shouldn't have cheated."

"Let's not call it cheating." Zelda says, running a hand down her face. "He tried to tell me before the magazine came out. He begged Jeff to tell me when I wouldn't listen and gave him the permission to go and do whatever he wanted. So he never cheated, I just called it cheating to feel like a victim." Zelda confesses. "And because of that my fans bully the poor man. I'd really like to get right with him before Edna dies." She shrugs. "But I can't help but feel horrible." It's time Zelda finished running away from her problems.

"That's what process is all about. You said it in your song once." Anju smiles and winks. "Trust me, it'll be painful at first but it'll be a smooth road from them on."

"I guess you're right. You're a really good friend Anju. I love you." Anju smiles.

"Love you too girl. Well, other than Daniel, tell me how the rest of your family is doing. You can be honest with me." Zelda stares at Anju and smiles back.

"I'm always honest with you… most of the time I am anyways. After the incident, my dad and I kind of got closer. Jeff though, we got real close, Impa and I stayed neutral and mom… I lost her." Zelda says, rubbing her arm. The forest continues to stretch and Zelda finds that she is able to share her thoughts here where it is quiet and the only one who'd overhear are the bugs and wild animals. "I don't know, after all that. I felt like I had an access card to do and say whatever I wanted. I felt like I could curse and abuse anyone and like Daniel I thought he'd stay despite all I said to him. Jeff, he wouldn't stand for my childish behaviour and stayed strong despite how rude I was… my mom, she was so weak that I could say anything and she'd cry. I enjoyed seeing someone else hurt, I wanted other to feel just as bad as I did. I guess… if you were strong enough to deal with my constant tantrums, we'd be okay. Dad and Impa survived it but mom died in it." There is a moment of silence as the two reflect on those words.

"What made Edna different?" Anju asks and stares at Zelda.

"She was strong." Zelda shrugs. "And she had a good mix of love and empathy but at the same time was strong enough to… deal with me. She said things to me that made sense unlike all the others. Jeff had good things to say too but he just… it wasn't like what nana would say. I'm glad you survived though."

"Of course girl, you're my best friend." Anju says, giving her a hug before linking arms with Zelda. "Out of curiosity, what did Jeff say?" Zelda laughs.

"They were really stupid and more to make me laugh. He showed me things in hopes I'd see the brighter side of this world. He did good and he was also my gateway to media. He showed me so many things. I never knew that there was a funeral for my voice, apparently there were streets crowded with people. And after that, my CD's were selling out, things from my concert were being auctioned at a thousand dollars minimum."

"Oh, concerts. Those are probably something you'd miss."

"It would be." Zelda nods. "But the past is the past… Can I tell you something?"

"Of course." Anju says. Zelda sighs and begins to tell Anju her dream, by the end of her tale Anju shivers.

"That's scary… and now I know I should go to Grog…" Anju says. "I heard him whispering how much he hated mom and Mutoh… and so that drove me insane but after hearing your dream… I want to help him out. I will help him out. Can I tell Kafei?" Anju asks, looking at Zelda.

"Well alright… just don't be spraying everything."

"Of course. I'll just talk about the Grog part… We'll both try to befriend him properly. But what I did like about his rudeness is that Link went totally crazy for you. Did you see?" Anju asks, nudging Zelda. "It looked like he wanted to punch the guy." Anju laughs.

"I'm sure he was acting like that to be nice. Did you see the way he was when I was talking about Malon?" Zelda rolls her eyes.

"Zelda!" Anju says, slapping her friends arm and letting go of her. "Don't bring her up, that was four years ago. You can't like someone after four years. They broke up and that's that."

"I don't know… I'm scared." Zelda confesses. "What if we do get together? Which I highly doubt because I killed his relationship but if we do become more than acquaintances… What if we're just using each other as rebounds?"

"You aren't. You're both over the last person. Besides you two look so good together!" Anju jokes, reattaching herself to Zelda. "I'll try to hook you two up." The girls continue to walk down through the forest and this time, with lighter conversations.

123

"I never expected this walk n' talk to last this long." Anju says looking at the orange sky. "I still have to pick things up before we go back to the inn."

"What are they?" Zelda asks. The two are exiting the forest and the parking lot is less filled than it is in the afternoon.

"Just ingredients. I have to start making my famous pie for the fair. I'd promise I'd make more this year because I was sold out last time."

"Where do the proceeds going to?"

"The town and we plan on restoring some buildings. One of the main priorities is the orphanage."

"Oh, I'll donate."

"We don't want your big money Zelda. You'll ruin the all the fun." The girls laugh.

"Then I'll have to buy a lot of things… since we're going back. I'll help pick the ingredients up."

"That'd be great." After much walking and the sun just resting behind the hill, the two are in the busy streets of the local market. There are stall created by wood and striped leather roofs. There are combinations of different aromas from different fruits and flowers. The town's people are starting to turn on lights and the streetlamps too are turning on. "You can go and pick up the flour." Zelda says, pointing ahead." I'd need 12 giant bags. I'll see you at the inn." Anju says, letting go of her arm and disappearing to the right.

"Flour…" Zelda murmurs to herself, walking by many stands and has to reject the sellers who try to coax her into buying their stuff. Finally, she sees a stall with many flour bags stacked in the back. The table have many different wheat products, bread, some oil and a weighing machine. She walks up to the stall but there is no one there. Seeing a bell, she taps it and continues to waits until she hears a voice.

"Zelda?" She looks over her shoulder and can see Link greeting her. He's wearing a white apron and his face and hair is clouded with white powder. "Oh, I thought it was you." He smiles, walking behind the stall. "What can I get you?"

"12 bags of flour please." Zelda says, knowing well why Anju sent her to this specific one. Throughout their walk, they had been talking about Link and Anju made Zelda confess of her attraction towards him.

"12 bags? What's it for?" He asks, turning to the stack behind him.

"It isn't for me, it's for Anju."

"Ah, making her pie. Where is she?" He asks, taking a bag and laying it on the small wagon.

"Getting fruits."

"Oh, alright. I'll help you out."

"Uhm, are you sure you want to leave your store unattended?"

"I won't. Mark is coming." Link says, pointing at a young man approaching the stall with a wagon. He too is wearing a white apron and has powder all over him.

"If it's not a problem."

"I think if I don't help you, it'll be a problem." He smiles, taking a wagon from Mark and using it to stack more bags of flour. In total he filled three wagons, four bags of flour on each. "I wouldn't want to ask you to work but do you think you can drag this one wagon?" Link asks, smiling at Zelda.

"Yes, of course." She says, walking to him and takes the handle from his grasp. Their hands lightly touch and her face turns red immediately.

"Do you know how to get to the inn from here?"

"No… I don't." Zelda realises. Anju must have known that Link would walk her to the inn.

"Alright, just follow me." Link can't seem to stop smiling. He had been very tired because he could not fall asleep after the dinner from last night and started to feel slightly sick. He couldn't get much sleep and throughout the day, no matter how hard he tried to fake a cheerful attitude, he failed but at the sight of Zelda, all his negative emotions disappear. "I want to say sorry about last night with the way Grog treated you."

"Oh it's fine. Anju and I talked over it." Zelda says, turning red and remembers what Anju had told her earlier- how he stood up for her.

"He isn't usually like that… something must have gotten him really angry… I wanted to say however, you played beautifully. I can't imagine how amazing your singing would be so I borrowed Saria's CD and listened to it." He says, not saying that he used her voice to smoothen his anxiety. He then was able to fall asleep thanks to her voice. Surprisingly, he hadn't thought of Malon when he listened to the CD. Often, when he listened to a singer, he had a natural habit to compare them to his ex because he always had believed that Malon had the most beautiful voice in the world until lately. The two females do have different vocal tones, Malon's is light and friendly but Zelda's voice was like a powerhouse that can blow you away, literally. "I really liked this one song, I think it's called _Listen_?"

"Yeah, that was a hit."

"A hit?"

"Oh, sorry. It's a term we say when we refer to something successful and popular but yes, I like that song too." She had written that in response to all the producers, managers and everyone who had tried to lock Zelda in a certain image away from who she was. They had forced her to become an adult at the age of 16 and controlled her like marionette as she brought the company millions of dollars. She wasn't certain how the crowd would take her after she released the song in secret with another studio but it only got her more support and fans.

"Every song must have been successful." Link can't imagine any song to not be liked. Zelda laughs.

"I hate to brag but yes, at least 90% of my songs were always on the top chart." She says, remembering the many awards she won.

"Saria really likes this one song called _Who You Are_, I liked that too but I think it was intended for females? I couldn't really relate to it." Link grins. "She kept telling me to listen to it but I didn't like it as much as _Listen_." The two were so indulged in their own conversation that they almost walked past the Inn. Upon entering, Link greets Grog quietly before continuing onto the kitchen. Anju and Kafei are talking by the bar, and the restaurant is not as filled as it was during lunch.

"Link and Zelda," Anju says, greeting them. Kafei just gives the two a smile and the couple waits until they are close enough. "Thanks so much for bringing the flour over here. Here's the money, and keep the extra." Anju says to Link.

"Thanks," He says, quickly counting the bills before pocketing it. "Oh, before I forget Zelda. Would you like to have dinner at my place tonight?"

"Tonight?" Zelda asks, looking at the clock. It's alright 7 PM.

"If it's okay with you that we have it late. I'll ask Saria to not cook too much." Zelda frowns, she had assumed it to be a date.

"Sure…"

"Great, I'll pick you up at 9?"

"Don't worry. You don't need to pick me up. I'll drive there… can I bring my grandmother?"

"Sure." Link says making Zelda frown a little more, he didn't appear disappointed but happier. "I can't wait to see you tonight then." He says, turning around. Once he's out, Anju giggles loudly.

"You got a date!"

"It's not a date if everyone's there… but anyways, why do you think he'd offer dinner?" Zelda asks, taking Anju's cup of cold water. The red head shrugs.

"Maybe he's hoping to make up for the tragedy of last night?"

123

Zelda's heart has been beating quickly the past few hours and as she parked the car in front of their home, she can see an outlined shadow of Saria at the window. Edna and Zelda left the car and approach the already open door. "Welcome." Saria says, opening the door wide for them.

"Thanks for having us." She says, hugging the girl quickly before being escorted to the dining table. She is surprised to see Kafei. The three males, Link, Mido and Kafei all stand at their arrival. The plates are already set and in the center, there is salad, mash potatoes and chicken. She fidgets with her blouse, she is instantly glad she chose a jean and blouse combo instead of a dress. She did not feel comfortable wearing a dress with a room filled with men. Everyone sits in their usual place, Link at the end of the table, Saria beside him, Mido beside her. Across from the two sit Zelda and Edna and at the other end, Kafei sits.

"Sorry about that Zelda." Link says after everyone sits and finishes a prayer. "I didn't want the dinner to sound open for Anju." Even though she understands, Zelda can't help but feel slightly offended. They invite Kafei but not Anju? She takes the salad bowl from Link.

"This is supposed to be a secret meeting." Mido winks at Kafei who turns red. "Want to explain what it's about?" Mido asks Kafei and places the bowl of potatoes down.

"This is a meeting concerning my proposal to Anju." Kafei says and Zelda chokes on her food. Edna pats her back while Link holds her glass of water for her to take.

"I knew something was up." Edna says. "Since when did you have this planned?"

"For a while now, I had this planned a month back? I knew I wanted to marry her long ago but I didn't know when to ask…" Kafei blushes. He isn't usually a man who speaks about himself. "I had to stop myself from asking her on the spot and every time I had the courage to do it, I would remember her talking about those large proposal ideas she would wish for…"

"Then why do you need us?" Edna asks and Zelda is grateful. If he did plan it a month ago, why would they need her?

"Well, I already have the proposal plans finished. It's just that, Zelda came at a great time and she constantly talks about you." Kafei says, looking at the blonde who is wiping her mouth with a napkin. "You're her best friend and as so, I'd really appreciate it if you were involved. She'd want you to be involved…"

"Of course, what can I do?" Zelda asks.

"Let me explain the idea…" By the end of his explanation Zelda is left breathless. She's completely stunned by the amount of work and dedication. If this was in the city, she'd have her cameramen and photographer friends to come over. It's no wonder he's so secretive about it, there are already so much people involved, any more would potentially cause an exposure. "There is this one song she constantly sings at work. She told me that you two had written it together when you were younger? It had a lot of la's in it." Even now as he talks about Anju, all over his face, it is clear to see his obvious love for the girl.

"Oh I know that song." Zelda says smiling. She had written it with Anju far back when they didn't have a restaurant attached to the inn. That time they had only been a motel and that was when the piano was still in the lobby.

"I don't sing at all…" Kafei says. "But I'm willing to sing for her and I know you do a lot of song arrangements. I'd like to somehow involve the question in that song."

"I'll have to do rewriting but yes. I will work my magic." Zelda smiles. "And you're planning on proposing at the county fair?"

"Yes."

"When's is it?" Zelda asks. Kafei glances at Mido and takes a loud gulp.

"Five days from now?" He shrugs. Again, Zelda almost chokes on her food.

"Alright, I'll really need to work hard but I'll do it and I'll need all of your dedication too." Zelda says to the group. They give her a stern nod. Her best friend is one lucky girl and Zelda is lucky herself to be best friends with such a wonderful girl.

* * *

Mwuahha, I didn't explain the plan on purpose so you'll have to wait. :D and now we're getting a little more romance.

Wow, so I was actually hoping to get a very nice chapter in, like the proposal and the county fair in. I never realised this chapter to be so long. Like lovey dovey all the pooy stuff with Zelink which you did get but the dream sequence really killed the mood so I decided that the next chapter will be filled with all the romance. Really sorry guys but I think I like the content of this chapter better than the last chapter. It feels really real. Haha. I was really busy – grad, babysitting and planning for a trip. I'll post the nice stuff after my awesome week trip, haha, that one FOR SURE will be filled with romance. FILLED WITH ROMANCE. You'll get Kafei Anju action, some Mido and Sarai and let's not forget! ZELDA AND LINK! Woo so keep in tune. ;) Four chapters left! D: (but it might be a little longer – doubt it though)

Songs they referred to: _Listen _by Beyonce and _Who you are_ by Jessie J. _  
_

Thanks for the reviews, follows and favourites! God Bless.


	6. Propositions

_**Chapter Six: Propositions**_

* * *

Before you begin: If you want to know the songs used, scroll down until the authors comment, song title posted.

* * *

The moon is settled nicely above Forest Haven and inside the Nohansen house, it's dark in the kitchen except the small table by the wall. Zelda had taken a lamp from the living room to move in the kitchen so that the stacks of paper on the table can be seen. Paper's upon paper with lines and notes except for one which is a list that tells Zelda what she has to work with:

_ Saria: Vocals – Soprano. Mainly does higher harmony, can figure it out quickly._

_ Mido: Piano – Around Average… Level 5 – 6? Guitar: basic chords only._

_ Link: Wind instruments: Mainly Flute and Ocarina_

_ Kafei: None, needs private vocal lessons. _

_ Me: Piano, guitar, violin? Etc…_

Looking over her list once more, she writes beside Link: drums? She glances at the clock hanging on the wall beside the table and it is past midnight. She looks back at her half-finished composition and knows that she should continue but without knowing whether Link can play the drums or not, her hand fails to write and her brain refuses to continue.

She taps the pen against her head, wondering if she should call Kokori farm at this time of night. Finally, before wasting any more time, she stands and approaches the phone hanged beside the light switch. Turning on the main light in the kitchen, she looks over the contact book on the small table below the phone, which is beside the exit to the hallway. It doesn't take long until she finds their phone number, but her hands begin to sweat around the heavy plastic phone.

She runs a hand over the buttons before officially dialling. Her heart pounds as she hears the rings and she finds that twirling her fingers within the cord is comforting. Once she hears a voice answer, her heart nearly skips a beat. "Hello?" The voice had to repeat again. Zelda clears her throat quickly and turns red.

"H-Hi. This is Zelda." She finally says; her cheeks grow warm. She's thankful that he does not see her reddening face.

"Oh Zelda. Hey. This is Link, by the way." Despite her knowing this, this makes her heart skip more beats.

"Sorry about the late call."

"No worries, what are you doing up so late?"

"Making song arrangements for the proposal. I'm trying to figure out how I can merge this song with the current plan."

"Wow, you're really hard working." This time Zelda finds it easier to talk to him.

"Well, what are _you_ doing up at a time like this?" She asks teasingly.

"Couldn't really sleep much, maybe it's all the excitement." He laughs, hoping that it masks his lie. The real reason why he can't sleep is because he cannot get Zelda out of his head and spent most of the time on his bed, toiling and trying to deny his occurring feelings by scolding himself. Secretly he did wish that she'd call and it surprised him more than ever when his wish came true. "So," he forces himself to continue. "What brings you here?"

"Oh, right." Zelda says, hoping that she would remember quickly. She turns around and is reminded of the composition when she sees the paper filled desk. Her face burns red and she's surprised that the phone in her hand did not melt. "I wanted to know, do you play the drums?" There is a slight pause and throughout that silence, Zelda finds it hard to breath. Please say yes, she begs in her head.

"Yes I do." Link says, smiling. "But only basic beats? I haven't played in a while but if I review I should be fine."

"That's great to know!" Zelda say; her mind now completely devoted to the thought of the proposal and no longer of Link.

"Anything I can do to help." The two continue to hold onto the phone, waiting for the other to say something but when the silence drags on too long, Zelda wonders if he had hung up.

"Hello?" Zelda asks.

"I'm still here." His voice makes Zelda's skin rise and shiver.

"Well… That's all I needed to ask…" She says slowly. "So… Have a good night."

"You too," Link says. "I'll see you in the morning." Zelda waits for him to hang up; she didn't have the courage to hang up on her own. "Uhm, Zelda?"

"Yes?"

"Should I hang up or should you?" The two of them laugh quietly.

"I'll do it." Zelda says.

"Alright. Bye."

"Bye." Then Zelda quickly presses the 'End Call' button. She places the phone back on its receiver and tries not to lose her mind. She turns off the light once again and reunites with her half-finished work. Zelda takes a deep breath and when she exhales, she allows all the unnecessary thoughts to escape. Now that her head is empty, she invites the symphony she heard earlier and writes down what she hears.

123

"Zelda honey." A gentle voice says, rocking her out of sleep. Zelda opens her eyes but remains unmoving.

"What time is it?" She asks.

"9 o'clock." Edna responds.

"Oh no, I'm late." Zelda says. Her voice is monotone and clearly tired but she forces herself to sit up from her bed.

"I've made you cereal downstairs." Edna says, exiting Zelda's bedroom with a cane in her hand. Despite her lingering thoughts on her grandmother's health, she jumps right out of bed and takes a quick shower. Soon, without her grandmother, she arrives at the Kokori farm. Zelda jogs up the stairs with a folder in one hand and apologises to the four who are already awake.

"I'm really sorry." Zelda says, kicking her shoes off while watching Saria close the door.

"It's fine, Link told us you stayed up late." Saria says. "Where's Edna?"

"She's staying home to get knitting done." Zelda explains, smiling at the three boys and makes her way straight to the upright piano in the living room. She raises the fallboard, opens the folder on the music desk and takes two separate stacks of paper out. "Okay, so my plan is, we use my song in the beginning so that it's a duet between you," Zelda says pointing at Kafei. "and Anju. She'll know the lyrics right away. Then you can do phase one of your proposal then during your phase two, we can incorporate another song sung by you and a choir only."

"A choir?" Mido asks. "Saria's part of the church choir."

"Part of what?" Saria asks, joining the circle of friends.

"I was telling her about the church choir."

"Oh yes, I'm part of the church choir; I can ask our choir director if he's available." Saria says.

"That'd be great." Zelda responds, turning around to face her. She can already see the drums in front of Link. This reminds her of last night and again, she tries to repress the blood rising to her cheeks. "Do you think you can call him now?"

"Sure, what do you want me to say?" Saria asks, walking towards the end table beside the couch.

"Tell him about this proposal song and that I'd like to have an appointment with him this evening to compose possible choir numbers."

"Alright." Saria says, picking up the phone.

"Now Mido, you'll be our piano player." She says, signalling the tall man to sit beside her. When he does, Zelda shows him the piano score he`ll he playing. He reads it quickly and begins playing; his long fingers make it easy to touch the notes. He plays it to near perfection and rarely does Zelda have to correct him. Other than his few mistakes, Zelda would sometimes change a note in the song. "Easy right?" She asks and Mido nods.

"Good, now Link." Her mouth curves around his name, and she finds herself smiling at the unfamiliar call for him. She takes a piece of music sheet before standing from the bench. She walks towards Link and hands him the sheet. "So this is what you play, it's a generic beat. You don't play until halfway through and you'll get a feel from my guitar. "

"Yes mamn," He grins, staring at Zelda as he takes it off her hands. She finds it hard to look away from his deep blue eyes and does not realise that she`s stayed in his presence longer than needed until Saria calls her.

"Ikana said yes." Saria smiles, re-joining the group. At the call of her attention, Zelda nearly jumps up in shock.

"That's great." She responds, turning around to take the guitar that rests on the wall beside the piano. She finds a seat and quickly tunes it before starting to play. "Alright, Saria." She says to the female. "You'll have to be the voice for now and Kafei will learn the notes from you."

"Okay." Saria smiles and stands beside Kafei.

123

"This should be it…" Zelda whispers, opening a large wooden door to the church. She steps inside and is struck by the beauty of it all. She's immediately pulled into the ancient architecture, the intricate details and the deep colours that complement the gray stone columns in the foyer. There is a desk in the foyer but no one is present, and beside the desk is a shelf of different brochures for different situations. She continues to walk forward; the red carpet softens the footsteps of her heeled boots. Once she's inside the sanctuary, the ceiling height increases 10 fold. On both walls are tall thin stained windows and on the ceiling are paintings, she presumes that they are stories from their religious text. At the end of the church is a tall statue of three women floating around three triangles formed into one larger triangle.

Her eyes widen as sudden blurred memories pour in her head. She's certain that these aren't her memories, that they are memories of a different life from the past. Sweat forms at the top of her forehead and before she can scream from the pain, a voice calls out to her.

"You must be Zelda." A man's voice says, echoing in the empty room. The voice whips through her brain, snapping her back into reality and for a moment, her vision spins. Battling against a fall, she touches one of the pews for support and turns around to a short, older man. He's thin, almost to the bone but despite his lack of strength, he stands as if nothing can push him down. His face is wide, his nose is fairly large and his wrinkles are impressions of smiles. "I've got your call from Saria and am most excited to work with you." He says, raising a hand for her to take. They shake quickly before letting go, and there she notices a small girl hiding behind her father's legs. "Oh this is Palmer, my daughter and I'm Ikana."  
"Are you really Zelda?" Palmer asks. The little girl has short brown hair cut just above her neck and like her father she has a wide face with big blue eyes.

"Yes I am." Zelda smiles and leans downwards to be on the same level as the girl. Palmer then finds the courage to step forward.

"I'm a fan of yours." The little girl says before reaching in her dress pocket. She reveals one of Zelda's later CD's and in the other hand a marker. "Can I have your autograph?"

"Sure thing." Zelda says, taking the CD from the girl. She admires the cover, it's a close up of herself staring straight ahead with full confidence. "Some of my favourite songs are on this." Zelda says, glancing at the back with a list of her later works, songs that actually mattered and gave inspiration rather than songs that talked endlessly about love and sex. She then flips it back again and writes 'To Palmer. I hope this encourages you and speaks to your heart. Love Zelda'. After finishing, she hands it back to the girl.

"Thanks!" The girl says, taking back her CD and lingers over the message and signature.

"We can come closer to the piano." Ikana says, taking her beside the stage where a grand piano stood.

"For the proposal, there are two songs in use and the choir doesn't come in until the second song. The second song is all acapella and is a known song in Downtown Hyrule." Zelda says, looking in her bag and taking out music sheets. Ikana takes it off her hands and skims over the different tone arrangements while she digs in her bag for her phone. "And this is how the song sounds like," She sits on the bench and presses play on the popular song.

"Ah, this song." Ikana says. "Yes I know it well. My daughter listens to it often." The man continues to stare at her arrangements before closing his eyes to meditate on the song. The melody is bubbly and loud, he can feel a knot in his stomach at the new exciting project. Soon, Zelda's vision matches his and he too is able to hear the symphony. "That was great." Ikana says, "but what if we do this instead…" Taking a pencil in his pockets he erases some notes from the paper and writes his own.

"That'll sound good." Zelda comments, staring at the new notes and tries it on the piano.

"I'm glad." Ikana says, excited to make this come true.

123

Zelda's alarm beeps loudly at 5:00, forcing the sleep deprived woman to rise. Her every movement, all her muscles begin to tense and cause soft pain. She groans and shuffles the blankets away from her body. Emitting a yawn, she rubs her eyes open before placing both feet on the ground. Today's the day, she reminds herself, the day where my- she stops and corrects her thinking. The day where everyone's hard work finally pays off.

In total, for the past five days, Zelda had 30 hours of sleep. Though sleep was a large sacrifice, she also experienced new and exciting things. Such as: a rebellious choir. Not every single person in the group was bad, just the few who were disappointed that they had to sacrifice a lot of time or the older who believed that the choir should only be used for religious purposes. Some had legitimate reasons like having to tend their own activities for the county fair but other than those complaints, the majority where more than excited to be part of this terrific event. They can imagine it all over the town newspaper: The proposal, the long romance between politician and innkeeper.

Sadly, those who felt sour about it, excluding the ones with real reasons because they can just leave; but the ones who were too selfish caused a few scenes… only in the beginning, thankfully. If it hadn't been for Link's superior and stern command, and Ikana's warning, the rebellious would continue to eat up their precious practise time. Speaking of Link, he didn't need to go to the choir practises because he's only used for the first song, but he insisted, stating that he has to be there for Kafei because he's to be the best man.

Usually, in the city, many where more than pleased to work under Zelda but in the country, she felt almost invisible. Like her qualifications meant nothing and would continue to mean nothing until she showed off some of her own skills: singing. After all, why would a mute, like herself, try to lead a group of singing people?

Another event she had experienced was the unbelievable feeling of missing her co-workers. Working with Ikana, she found his accompaniment to be most enjoyable but in between the moments of silence, she reflected their laughs with those of her friends back home. The way they'd all talk around the piano while sharing their creativity.

One other was the harmonic relationship in the community. Through the exciting secret, she felt the strength of love through the crowd but most importantly, Zelda found belonging. Sitting on the chair with a guitar, while playing with the band and hearing the choir was a moment of pure peace that clothed over her heart. She's never felt so at home with a group of strangers, well, no longer strangers but she finally found her small niche.

And the last that she'll take with her… is the feeling of love. Without hesitation but with full certainty, the blonde can truly say she's experienced a yearning. A yearning for affection, a want for respect, the need for his touch and for his eyes to only watch her. This is the magic of love and to think that it had hit her so strongly but not only to have the spell on her but to have it received back by a man she had hurt – Link. Or she was almost certain that he had feelings for her too. Unlike the guys in the city, Link`s very frank with his feelings and showed this through his courting. Sadly, the two didn`t have enough time to spare for this possible relationship and Zelda still didn`t like the unnerving feeling in her stomach: the one triggered by the thought of Malon.

Zelda smiles as she stares at Link`s jacket on top of her chair. Last night, till the warm afternoon to the chilly night, they all practised and Zelda, who was very busy, forgot to wear something warmer. So Link, in front of the choir and his friends, freely offered his jacket for her to take and she, with hesitant hands accepted his offer.

She stands and welcomes the shower gladly before dressing appropriately for the final official practise this morning. She quickly changes into a comfortable outfit and has a non-messy breakfast before jumping into her car with Link's jacket. For these past five days, she`s been so absorbed in the proposal that she had no time left for her grandmother but not only her grandmother, but her laptop that she hardly opened. Despite trying to keep her promise to check on her friends and co-workers, when she sat in bed, she would usually knock-out right away.

Driving into town, the streets remain empty except for very few. She's now familiar with the layout of the town, Honey and Darling`s flower shop in between Gillian`s café bar and Roseanna`s boutique. Further, Mako`s weapon shop for hunting, Mudora's Bookshop and Malo's mart. The townhouses and the small apartments, the town hall and Kafei`s condo near the town hall. The church at the end and the place of the county fair: the community center.

She can see the parking lot filled with booths and large rides that are being tested. The infamous spinning machines that made anyone nauseous and the Ferris wheel that everybody talked about. The food court in the community center but Zelda was not parking near there. She`s certain that Anju would recognize her green beetle anywhere and would later interrogate her of her early appearance. So Zelda continues to drive further, near the smell of salt from the turning sea.

123

"Alright see you later," Zelda says to Kafei as he steps out of her car. "Don't flop on the lyrics now."

"I'll try not to." Kafei responds as he exits the car. "And make sure you get a lot of rest in between now and later." He grins.

"I plan to."

"Alright, see you guys later. Thanks for all your hard work." Kafei says to the three: Mido, Saria and Link in the back. They all say their final goodbyes before Kafei closes the door. He turns on his heel and heads into the condominiums.

"I call front!" Mido shouts, shuffling out of the car to sit in the passenger's seat beside Zelda. Saria then takes Mido's old spot so the middle remains empty and the back has more arm space. The rest of the way to Kokori farm is mainly filled with mindless chatter about the upcoming proposal and it feels like a few minutes before they arrive to Kokori Farm.

"Thanks for the ride." Mido says.

"Really Zelda, thanks." Saria says. "I can't wait to see you later." Soon the two turn around and Zelda watches them step on the front porch. By the time she sees Link's back, she wishes that he'd say something to her whether that be a simple goodbye. Turn around, she hopes, wanting to see his face and that small yet seductive smile. And as if her fantasy plays out before her, Link stops before reaching the stairs and turns around.

Frozen in the moment, Zelda raises a shaky hand to wave goodbye but stops when she realises his approaching steps. Through the window, she can see Mido and Saria watching with big smiles plastered on their face while they silently cheer for the now embarrassed Zelda.

"Zelda." Link says, his body right in front of the car door so she can no longer see Saria and Mido. Link's steady hand is rested on the lowered window, his other hand is hidden by the car door and is holding onto his jacket, and his body is arched forward so that his dark blue eyes can see Zelda.

"Y-yes?" She says, her voice makes a high turn up. Link's eyes avert hers and his cheeks turn red, he opens his mouth but closes it after some careful consideration. Out of nerves, he touches the back of his neck before staring back at Zelda, his cheeks a darker shade of red.

"I was wondering if you'd be my date for the fair?" Link asks, deciding to be more direct with his feelings rather than curving the words to make it sound less important. Zelda chest tightens, pushing all the air out of her lungs. It takes her a while to find her normal breathing pattern and when she is composed, her eyes flutter to a close and she cannot stop her mouth from curving upwards. She smiles big, looking at her dashboard and can feel her cheeks redden. Her hand automatically rises to play with the radio knobs on the car before she forces herself to look at Link.

"I really want to Link but I promised Edna I'd go with her…" And her heart nearly breaks as she watches Link try to hide his disappointment through a faltering smile. "If anything changes however," Zelda says, placing her hand on his. "I'll call."

"Alright," Link replies back softly, smiling just a little more. "It's okay if you can't spend the time with me. I understand you haven't spent the last few days with your grandma. Don't stress yourself out." He turns his hand over slowly so their palms are touching. Curling his fingers over her hand, he gently places his lips on the back of her hand.

The contact shoots electricity through her body, running up her arm causing the goosebumps to rise and scale up her shoulder. Link squeezes her hand as a final farewell before turning around to the front porch. She pulls her hand back and places it near her chest, her thoughts focus on Link alone.

"I need to get home!" She scolds herself. She turns on the engine and makes a U-turn for the main road, too shy to stare at Kokori farm and in turn, misses Link's gentle stare.

Throughout the ride to her home, Zelda's hand still shaks over the steering wheel from excitement. Her unfocused mind almost cost her to hit a wandering sheep near the road but she brakes fast enough and the recoil from the sudden stop forces her mind on the road.

123

"Nana, I'm home." Zelda says out loud upon entering the small white house. But when she hears no response, she walks past the living room and into the kitchen where she sees a note folded to stand on the table. Zelda places her keys on the table and swaps it for the note addressing for her, written in Edna's familiar writing. She flips the card open and it states that Edna won't be accompanying her for the day but will see her for the proposal. _Don't worry_, it said, curling the tail of the y gently.

The blonde sighs and lays the note flat on the table. She's upset but one side of her reeked of guilt because of the small piece of contentment she felt. She walks up to the telephone and calls the Kokori farm, no longer having to look at the phonebook.

"Hello?" It's Link.

"Hey Link, I just found out that Edna won't be able to accompany me. So if your offer still stands I'd love to spend time with you."

"Yes. Of course the offer is still there. We can meet at around 1 o'clock and if you don't mind, we can have dinner at 6 o'clock. I'll pay." He quickly adds.

"You don't have to do that." Zelda blushes, curling her finger around the cord.

"Since it's a date, I insist." He says. She's easily impressed by his confidence to call it what it is. All the men that took an interest in her would usually cover their intentions with simpler words suggesting a platonic setting. It's sad really, she actually liked some of them but they were too shy to make a move. "Anyways, you sound really tired. Go to bed now." He teases.

"I will. See you later Link." She says.

"I'll see you." And Zelda hangs up. She rushes up the stairs, not bothering to change out of her outside clothes and falls into bed.

123

Her alarm rings at 11 o'clock and she pushes herself out of bed. She takes a short shower and decides to curl her hair and wear a little more makeup. She had battled for a while between choosing a dress or a romper and eventually chose the floral romper.

By the time she's gotten in her car, its already 12 o'clock and she's late for Anju's lunch date. She rushes down the road, almost surprised by how deserted everything is. There is no one on the sidewalks and rarely any cars on the road except for the few that parked. The parking to the fair was awful and she's forced to spend nearly 15 minutes circling until she finds any empty lot.

Once she's steps out of her car she can already hear the echoing high screams that whiz by her and the loud carnival music. She can feel the sun rays warming her exposed arms. She walks past the large colourful welcome banner and is instantly dragged into the dense crowd, reminding her terribly of Downtown Hyrule. She knew Forest Haven is a small community, perhaps only around a 1000 inhabitants but seeing them in one place gives her the impression that this 'small' community isn't that small.

She shuffles through the area, taking any available space that the crowd allowed. Families, couples, friends and the old all spent the time in the area under the blazing sun. Children sat on their father's shoulders, little girls held onto giant stuffed animals while boys try to tip over the glass bottles with their BB guns. Couples held hands, the male would have a teddy bear under his arm and the female would have a dripping ice cream cone in her hand. Old people supervised the rides, the booths and the sitting areas while chatting to others.

As she squeezes through the sweaty, warm crowd, she is able to recognize faces from the choir and those involved in the proposal. The females' wave at her, the males smile but they continue to walk past each other without conversation; paranoid of listening ears. The sun beats down and there are no clouds in sight except for the few tiny wisps that look like they're about to disappear.

Inside the community center, there is air conditioning and Zelda is able to inhale fresh cold air. It's less crowded but they're still aren't any visible available tables and so, Zelda prioritizes Anju. Walking from booth to booth, different tasty smells strike her nose and Zelda finds it hard to keep the saliva in her mouth. There are scents of herbs and fried flour, sweet cotton candy, the buttery popcorn, the grilled BBQ's and the fresh baked pies. There she sees Anju and Grog working together to get some orders filled in and surprise; Zelda sees that both Anju and Grog are communicating. Oh? Is that a smile I see, Zelda wonders, staring at the small tilt on Grog's mouth. Soon before another costumer arrives, Aikya and Mutoh come to their aid. Instantly, the siblings are able to exhale the breath they've been holding in.

By then, Zelda also arrives in front of their pie booth. "Oh Zelda, come, come." Anju says, walking away from the booth. Anju clings onto Zelda arm but before dragging Zelda away from the food court she says a quick goodbye to her family, Grog included.

"So how was it?" Zelda asks, once they pass double doors. They enter a cafeteria reserved only for workers and volunteers. It's less crowded and Zelda can already see two empty tables.

"How was what?" Anju asks, raising her eyebrow.

"Working with that evil brother of yours?"

"Not bad, we're on civil terms now. He wants to talk to you, you know?" Anju says, glancing at Zelda to see her reaction and it is nothing short of a surprise. "I wanted to call you and tell you what happened this past week but you were hardly home and when I did get in contact with you, you fell asleep half way through our conversation." Anju says, rolling her eyes while holding back a laugh. Eventually the red head let's go of Zelda's arm once they're in the short line. "What where you doing anyways?" Anju asks, looking straight at Zelda.

"Walking, thinking, knitting and talking with a few people."

"Like Link?" Anju teases, nudging her friend on the elbow. Zelda sways to her left and forces a smile on her face.

"Am I allowed to be eating here? I'm not a worker." Zelda asks once they're near the volunteer chiefs.

"Relax, they're not going to kick you out. You got me." Anju winks then takes her order. The chubby older female on the other side of the bar shouts Anju's order across the room before eyeing Zelda.

"Uhm," Zelda stutters. "I'll take whatever she's having."

"Make that two!" The worker shouts again before asking the person behind Zelda.

"Anyways, you avoided my question." Anju says, glancing at Zelda with a smirk.

"What question- Oh, that question. He might have been one of the few people I've been talking to."

"Might have? Girl, I know things you don't know." I guess that goes for the both of us, Zelda thinks. "When I restocked on flour Link asked me what your favourite type of flower is. To be honest, I didn't know so I told him you liked carnations."

"Carnations?" Zelda asks quietly, completely stunned.

"Why? Did he get you something?" Anju takes a plate of lasagna over the counter and hands it to Zelda who mutters her thanks. She then takes another plate before they sit down on a table.

"Oh he did actually." Zelda says once they're seated. "Oh, I must have mistaken it as a-" Zelda stops herself before she says anymore. She remembers when he gave her a bouquet of different coloured carnations. Sadly she had mistaken it for a decoration for Anju's proposal because throughout those days her whole world was wrapped around nothing but.

"Well? What did you think it was accidently?"

"Ah, I don't know. A present for… my grandmother?"

"Really? Where you that spaced out when he gave them to you?" Anju grins, rolling her eyes. She then takes a bite out of her lasagna before scanning Zelda. "I know you're hiding something. You're way too dressed up for your grandmother."

"Edna couldn't make it. She didn't tell me where she was going but she's with Edith and Northa."

"Then who you dressing up for?" Anju already knew the answer to this but she enjoys seeing Zelda blush and squirm uncomfortably.

"Link. We're going on a date." Zelda says, picking at her lasagna before taking a bite.

"Aw, that's so cute. I'm really happy for you. At first I was worried that you'd be too closed minded to try that relationship and that you'd still be affected by Daniel and Malon."

"Don't say her name now! I-I, haven't settled that with Link yet. Sometimes I find myself being paranoid that he'll get close to me just to rip my heart out as revenge."

"Link isn't the type of person to do that." Anju says looking seriously at Zelda and for the first time, Zelda finds herself almost frightened by her friend's sudden shift in usual personality.

"I know, I'm just… I can't find myself trusting him completely… Well, other than Link, my week has been boring yet busy. I had to help my nana make hats and stuff. It took me a while to learn how to knit but in the end, I was able to make one scarf that I'm sure won't go out for sale. How was your week?" Zelda asks, having to hide her grin because of how flawlessly she executed her lie. Thank the goddesses I know how to act; Zelda thinks, after all, that's what acting is: lying, taking a different persona and creating fake scenarios in your head while portraying that fake character.

"Weird. And kinda sad. You and Kafei were really busy but surprisingly I had Grog to talk to. I don't know what happened but he suddenly opened up. And you know my other best friend Cremia?" Zelda nods, remembering the female that she had more than once, mistakened as Malon. She had seen her on proposal rehearsals a couple times, she didn't really pay attention. "I didn't want to tell you this because it was during the most painful time of your life but I hadn't spoken to her for years."

"Why?" Zelda asks, taking a drink from her water bottle.

"Because…" Anju starts, poking her food. "A few months after Kafei and I became official… Kafei started acting really distant and after a while I got really upset so he told me that Cremia confessed to him."

"What?! Did Kafei do anything and what kind of friend is that?"

"I know, he told me that he didn't like her back. She hugged him and tried to ask for a kiss!" Anju frowns and clutches onto her fork tightly while her eyes watered with memory. "He promised he ran away before anything got too serious. He was dying with guilt and that's why he was acting weird. So obviously I'd confront my 'supposed' best friend and she apologised but things never went back to how they were. I found it hard to be in the same room, I couldn't stare at her in the eyes and I couldn't bring up conversations without feeling annoyed, angry or frustrated. She tried to reason with me, saying that she couldn't possibly hold her feelings back and that she never expected them to get together anyways."

"Then why would you bother telling him your feelings if you never expected to go out?" Zelda asks the invisible Cremia in the room, while rolling her eyes. Clearly she's judging Cremia and she can't believe that this situation would be brought up on a happy day.

"Well, I broke contact with her until this week! She suddenly started talking to me and before we knew it we kinda went back to being friends. She even told me she's been dating someone else."

"Wow."

"I know right. So imagine, two people I don't like: Grog and Cremia suddenly becoming my friend! And you would not believe this, two people said congratulations to me. I asked them what for and they just ran off in a hurry. One guy responded that it was a congratulation for the success of the inn but lately the number increased to five for this day!"

"That's so weird." Zelda says, trying to laugh. I knew this was going to happen, it's bound to slip up a few times considering the large amount of people that know, Zelda thinks. "Maybe they're congratulating you on your pie."

"Ha, maybe. Or perhaps they're congratulating me because of my sudden success with Grog."

"Even better." Zelda comments.

"You girls talking about me?" Suddenly Grog sits beside Anju and nearly causes Zelda to jump.

"Yup." Anju responds. "I was saying how, by the time you come here I'll need to go and take over the booth." Anju then looks over to Zelda and gives her an apologetic face. That's when Zelda realises that Anju had plotted for their talk meeting to start now.

"Our parents don't mind staying a little longer."

"It's fine, I finished eating anyways. I want to get the pie's sold out quickly so I can spend the more time with Kafei." Anju says while smiling brightly. She takes her tray and throws the empty plate in the garbage before leaving the tray on top of the bin. She heads to the exit and turns around one last time to wave goodbye to Zelda and Grog, then she's out of sight.

"So. You part of the proposal thing?" Grog asks. Should I tell him? Zelda ponders and eyes him down. "Listen, I don't plan on spoiling it or anything. I'm part of it."

"Part of it?" Zelda whispers, looking away as she tries to hide her shock.

"Believe it or not, yes."

"Why haven't I seen you during the rehearsals?" Zelda only remembers seeing Mutoh and Aikya.

"Because it would raise suspicion. Imagine the whole family leaving the inn near the same time and coming back near the same time."

"Touché."

"But anyways, I want to apologize for the night I bombarded you with hurtful things. I'll be honest, I had some alcohol and some pot before entering the dinner table because I got into a fight with this girl I liked. Yes, you still irritate me because you're super pretentious but you're my sister's best friend. I want to act like an older brother and I guess this proposal is making me realise that if I'm still angry I'll miss out a lot of fun things."

"Wow Grog, never knew you had it in you." Zelda murmurs, trying hard to not roll her eyes or sound too sarcastic.

"Well, I guess sometime you'll have to challenge other people's ideas." The two share a long stare before Zelda sees the large giant clock. It's almost 1 o'clock and now that she thinks about it, they hadn't set a specific meeting spot.

"I got to go on my date, if you'll excuse me." Zelda says, watching Grog stand too.

"With Link?" Grog asks. Zelda can't help but smile.

"Yes. With Link." After her surprisingly friendly conversation with Grog, the two soon part ways, Grog to the cafeteria line and Zelda to the public food court. She makes a bee-line for the washroom and has to wait in line in a smelly washroom. After her quick toilet break, she washes her hands and spends a long time staring at the mirror, readjusting her hair and reapplying any make-up that had gone bad.

Even past 1 o'clock the food court is still full and Zelda soon is in doubt over whether she'll find Link or not. "Hey you look sad miss." Zelda's awakened by the loud high voice and looks down at a seven year old girl standing in front of her. Hadn't this girl been taught that she shouldn't talk to strangers? Zelda wonders before responding. She continues to look at the little girl, her green eyes are big and bright and her long light brown hair is tied into a ponytail. It looks like she's been dressed by a man: a white shirt under overalls.

"I am sad." Zelda tells her. "Really sad that I can't find my friend."

"Me too! I can't find my dad." The little girl says loudly with a smile. This should not be something to be smiling at kid, Zelda thinks. She gives the girl a look of pity before responding.

"Your dad?"

"Yes, he likes to wander off. He works really hard because he wants to be the future mayor. So he spends a lot of time talking to the community and politicians." But it should never be enough to leave your own daughter behind; Zelda scolds an image of a thin, slouching man in her head. "Maybe he forgot that I'm not with granny or granpapa."

"Maybe we can work together. Tell me what your dad looks like and I'll tell you how my friend looks like." Zelda says, leaning forward so she wouldn't have to strain her voice in this loud crowd.

"Hmm." The little girl says loudly, placing a chubby finger to her chin and looks up. "Daddy is really big and strong. Not fat like a whale but strong like a gorilla." She says, raising her shoulders and giving her a mean look. "He has blonde hair but it's really small," She raising her tiny hand and pinches her thumb and pointing finger together. "like a new cut lawn and he's trying to grow a mustache. His eyes are small and his nose is small like my nose but bigger." She then points at her small button nose.

"Alright." Zelda says, forcing a smile. "You'll have to point him out in a crowd." Because I don't think I'll be able to point him out with that description, goddess you're cute, Zelda thinks and places a hand on the girl's head.

"I'm short so all I see are people's legs unless there is a kid, I can see their face. If you want me to see my dad, you have to carry me on your shoulders like what my dad does." Zelda immediately looks terrified and knows that she won't be able to carry this girl on her shoulder.

"I can't carry you with my shoulders but I can give you a piggy back ride." Zelda offers, hoping that it would suffice.

"Wee! I haven't had those in a long time." The girl says, jumping up and down in excitement. "Okay, now it's your turn to tell me how your friend looks like."

"You're right." Zelda says, pondering for a while when a sudden image from the first time she's seen Link interrupts her serious thoughts. She shakes the image out of her head and starts her description slowly and chooses her words carefully. "He's strong too but not fat or big and he's tall but not building tall." The little girl giggles and Zelda is glad that she's able to reciprocate the language of the child. "He's got these big blue eyes," Zelda says, taking her thumb and pointing finger over her eyelids to open her eyes. "And they're dark blue and if you stare too long your soul might fall into them. He's got this cute nose, it's small but not too small and his eyebrows are slanted downwards so it makes him look serious," Zelda then knits her eyebrows while smirking. "but he's a really good guy." She reassures, wailing her hands in protest at the little girl's growing frown. "And when he smiles, he smiles real big so you can't see his eyes. Oh, and he's got brown hair. Mainly brown but not dark."

"I can see why you're upset." The little girl says, hiding her smile behind her hands. "You can't find your important person." She giggles. Zelda head feels warmer and she can feel her hands clam up with sweat.

"What makes you say that?"

"Cause when I ask my dad how my mommy looked like. He would have the same face you make when he talks about her. It makes me wish I knew her but lucky for me, at least I can see your important person." The little girl widens her smile and reveals some missing teeth.

"You know, since we'll spend some time together. What's your name?" Zelda asks.

"Ilia, what's yours?"

"Zelda."

"What? Are you _that _Zelda? The one who sings? Oh can I get your autograph please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?" Ilia asks, clutching her closed fists near her chest and her glossy eyes widen.

"Of course, we'll need to find your dad first." Zelda says, crouching and showing her back to the girl. "All aboard!" Zelda says, feeling the weight of another push against her. Eventually, once she's certain that Ilia is properly seated, Zelda almost breaks sweat while trying to stand properly. Ilia however continued to giggle and laugh out loudly.

"Alright! Aye aye Captain. Hehe, I feel like those people who look through the long tube and see really far things."

"I bet you do." Zelda says, smiling. "You see your dad in the food court?" Zelda asks, walking around and turning slowly in circles so Ilia can get a full view of the area.

"No, I don't think so." Ilia says and frowns. She sighs and tries to hold back her tears. "What if we never find him? There's _so much _people!"

"Don't give up yet. Maybe he's outside." Zelda offers and walks towards the exit. One person holds the door open for her while she exits and both Zelda and Ilia say their thanks, Ilia says it the loudest. The outside's heat has gone from tolerable to bad, and the extra heat pressed against Zelda is not good. She finds herself more tired than not and can feel Ilia's sticky skin over her shoulders. Instead of trying to find Link or Ilia's father, Zelda noticed that her focus stayed mainly on trying to hold Ilia up.

"Oh. Your friend alert!" Ilia says loudly, drumming her hands on Zelda's shoulder. "I think it's him, he's pushing people to get to us!"

"Where?" Zelda asks, looking around. One part of her is relieved while another part hopes she does not look like a tragedy. It's good she chose light makeup or they'd drip off her face in this intense heat.

"Over there!" Ilia says, pointing somewhere to her right but Zelda, being at a lower height could not see over the family in front of her. She then could feel Ilia wailing her arms and she found no energy to scold the girl.

"Zelda!" She can hear Link's voice.

"Link!" Zelda responds back in a cry of desperation. "Over here!" She then can see his face poking out through the crowd and he makes one final push before standing right in front of Zelda.

"I'm glad I found you." He says, giving Zelda his most sincere smile. As if that smile was a new battery to Zelda, she is able to stand straight and she doesn't look like she's spent a while in this desert. It doesn't take long until their stare is broken by the presence of Ilia.

"Wow," Ilia says, giggling. "You're hot." Surprised by those words, Link raises his head to stare at the child pressing her cheek against Zelda's.

"Who's this little lady?" He asks.

"I'm Ilia!" The girl greets quickly and loudly. "Can you be my knight in shining armour or better, my prince?"

"Oh, uhm." Link finds himself turning red and he scratches the side of his face in uncertainty to how to respond to a small girl. If it had been an older girl, he would know how to tell her no kindly but to a child, he wasn't sure how to respond exactly. "I'm sorry but I can't be your knight or your prince."

"Aw. Is it because you already have a princess?" Ilia pouts.

"I have a princess in mind." Link says, staring at Zelda. This causes Zelda to turn red and she loses her courage to stare back.

"Is she here, in this kingdom?"

"I hope so." Despite Zelda not looking back, she can still feel Link's stare.

"Then are you going to get married and rule your kingdom together? That's so romantic, I want a prince!" Zelda lets out a breath of relief. Thankfully, Ilia had covered the question with a sentence of her own so that Link didn't need to respond to it.

"Why don't I hold her for you?" Link whispers in Zelda's ear. His hot breath tickles her and she tries not to giggle.

"Thanks," Zelda says, showing her back to Link. Instantly she can feel the pressure off her back and a warm breeze washes away the lingering heat of the child. "she's kind of heavy-" Zelda turns around and is in shock to see Link easily carry the girl over his head and on his shoulder. Ilia giggles and kicks her feet against his chest from pure excitement.

"What?" Link asks Zelda to repeat her words while trying to calm the girl down.

"You can be my noble steed instead!" Ilia says, pulling on Link's hair. Link tries not to yelp in pain and instead reaches for her little hands.

"Oh nothing." Zelda says quickly.

"Here hold my hand," Link says; his cheeks turn red but his eyes are serious as he stares at Zelda. "It's crowded and I don't want to lose you." Zelda can hear her heart pounding against her ribcage and raises a hesitant hand over his. He closes his hand over hers and pulls her a little closer; the sudden pull causes Zelda to bump into his strong chest where she can faintly smell cologne. Had he put it on for me? She wonders, feeling safe near his presence.

"She smells nice." Link's thought escapes his mouth and he can only hope that Zelda hadn't heard his complement but Zelda, being more aware, heard it and felt his body tense. Overwhelmed by desire she releases their hand holding so she can hug him. "Zelda?" Link asks, tensing even more.

"I'm just really glad we found each other." She says, oblivious to her hearts intention for those words. That, not only is she glad they found each other in this fair but that they found each other in their lives.

"I'm glad too." Link says, finally able to relax. All he can do is place a hand over her head. Soon however, this moment is interrupted by Ilia.

"Can we find my dad now?" She asks. Zelda peels off of Link and nods. She's more than glad that Link thinks she smells fine, that means she isn't sweating too terribly.

"Of course." Zelda says.

"What's your dad's name?" Link asks.

"People call my dad Bo, I like to call him president daddy."

"Oh that Bo? I know him!" Link says.

"Everyone knows him." Ilia says, resting her head on Link's head. "Let's go my noble steed!" Quietly, Zelda slips her fingers within Link and together they continue their quest.

123

"There he is!" Ilia says pointing at a tall, shoulder wide man talking to a short and very thin man. Link and Zelda approach him and both find themselves sighing in relief. The two hear each other and share a smile at their same feeling. Just within meters of his presence, the thinner man stops their conversation short and notions towards the couple and child. Bo turns around and his face reddens with shame and embarrassment.

"Ilia, I'm so sorry dear." Bo says, picking Ilia off of Link's shoulder and gives his daughter a hug.

"It's alright dad. I know you're working hard." Ilia says, hugging him back. "I even made new friends. This is Link and Zelda." Ilia says, pointing her arm towards the two.

"Thanks so much, I tend to get carried away. I know you." Bo says, looking at Link. "You, however, I feel like I do know you."

"She's a singer dad!" Ilia says in a loud offended voice.

"Oh that Zelda! I know you more as the granddaughter of Gustaf and Edna." Bo says, extending his arm to shake hers. Zelda takes his hand kindly but is still saddened that he'd abandon his daughter so easily.

"Dad, can you let go of me now? I gotta let Zelda sign my notebook!"

"Alright alright." Bo laughs, letting his daughter down. He then lets her pink bag roll off his arm and into his daughter's hand. Soon enough, Ilia pulls out a pink notebook with princesses on it and hands her a pink pen with a crown at the end.

"Wow, you must be a princess in disguise." Zelda teases, taking the stuff from Ilia.

"Dad says I am." Ilia announces proudly. Zelda kneels and props the notebook on her knee and chooses to write a hearty paragraph before signing her name largely.

"Here you are princess." Zelda says, giving it back to the girl. Ilia thanks her quickly, throwing the pen in her bag.

"Thanks! I had a lot of fun with you guys!" Ilia says, hugging Zelda's waist and Link's legs. "I hope we see each other soon." Not before long, Zelda and Link leave and this time the park is a little less crowded than it was. Alone with Link, Zelda can't seem to bring up a conversation. Her thoughts wandered to Ilia and she finds herself looking back, the girl is seated on a bench reading Zelda's paragraph alone while her father continues to talk to the person he had been talking to.

"You know, if you want her to tag along, I don't mind." Link says, shocking Zelda. She hadn't realised why she was so glum until then.

"Really?" Zelda asks, her eyes glossed and sting. A part of her is upset that she's not overly concerned with spending the time with Link only. Link places a gentle hand on her shoulder and nods. "Thanks Link," Zelda says and steps away from him but stops and turns back to Link. Link stands straight and pulls the smile back on his face, though he's being nice he did wish that they'd be alone but he understands that it wouldn't be fair if he was the only one enjoying. Zelda rushes back to him.

"What is it-" He stops when he feels her soft lips on his cheek. "Oh." He says, placing a hand over his cheek and finds his face heating up. She leaves his side and runs towards Ilia. He watches as Zelda greets Ilia, Ilia hugs her back and the expression Bo makes while Zelda approaches him causes Link to take some steps forward. Eventually the man looks at his clock and nods.

Zelda holds Ilia's hand and together, the two smiling girls join Link's side. "Nice to meet you again my noble steed."

"At your service princess." Link says. Zelda notices Link's smile fade while he leans forward with his head down bowed and Zelda, feeling guilty whispers in Ilia's ear.

"Oh," Ilia says. "But you can just be Link for now. We don't have to play princess." And Zelda's glad that Link's smile comes back on his face.

"If you insist." He says, mouthing a thanks to Zelda.

"Well come on! I only got an hour and a half to be with you two!" Ilia says and with her right hand she reaches for Zelda's hand and with her left, reaches for Link's hand.

"But Ilia we have to buy tickets first." Zelda says, tugging the girl to a ticket booth.

"I'll pay." Link says, releasing Ilia's hand and reaches for his wallet.

"No Link, you're already paying for dinner. I'll pay for the tickets." Zelda says, reaching for her own wallet.

"At least let me pay half." He pleads and looks at Zelda. Zelda looks away and curses his blue eyes, eyes that make her melt and feel week.

"Alright. But I'll pay and you can pay me half later." Zelda says, giving in. It had been forever since she's never paid. Her first few dates with Daniel, he had paid but eventually as the years roll on, she contributed to the point where she often paid for the whole date. Once they arrive at the ticket booth, the lady's expression went from bored to excitement.

"Family of three?" She asks. Link and Zelda both share a stare. "Families get a discount of 20 cents per ticket. It doesn't sound like a lot but your saving accumulates. Would you like to get the family of three discount?" She asks, pulling out a card scanner.

"Let me talk… with my. Uhm." Zelda couldn't finish her sentence, and pulls Link and Ilia out of line, allowing the people behind her to order. "So do you want to go with the deal and lie? Or."

"Sorry, what deal? I didn't understand what she was telling you." Link asks.

"She thought we were a family of three." She explains and both turn red. Link laughs out loud.

"Okay. I'll take her complement." He says. "but I don't know, I don't feel like lying. It's up to you since you're the one paying right away."

"You're right. The proceeds are what matter. I'll get 50 tickets?" Zelda asks.

"That should be enough."

"Alright." Zelda says, rejoining the short line. From afar, Link admires Zelda's honesty and looks down at Ilia, trying to imagine her as a daughter but the knot in his stomach scream that he's too young for that and brushes the thought aside. Zelda then comes back with the tickets and places it in her wallet. "Awesome, let's go!"

"Let's go to the merry-go-round." Ilia says and drags the two to the ride that had caught her interest earlier. As they wait in line, Zelda checks her watch and frowns.

"It's already 3:10." Zelda says. "She has to go back to her dad at 4. After this ride, we'll have time to go on another and maybe squeeze in one more depending on how long the lines and rides are."

"Oh." Link says, slightly glad that after a few more minutes, he'll be able to be with Zelda only.

"I was thinking we give Ilia her share of tickets and she can spend the rest with her dad."

"Sure, I don't mind."

"By the way, the tickets were a hundred bucks." Zelda cringes and bites her lips while carefully watching Link's reaction. It remains neutral.

"I figured it'll be around there. Sure, I have the money now." He pulls out his wallet and takes two twenty bills and a ten to give to Zelda.

"Wait, I feel really guilty taking this." Her hand is open but she doesn't grasp onto the bills.

"And if you don't take it, I'll feel worst." He says, using his other hand and forces Zelda to grab the bills. "Please Zelda." He says, staring at her. Again she succumbs and takes the money. When the last group leaves the marry-go-round, the worker for the ride has a counter in her hand and asks how much people are in their group. Again she had mistakened Link, Zelda and Ilia to be a family. Oblivious Ilia runs straight to one of the horses and struggles to climb up but Link lifts her from under her arm and places her on the plastic horse. "Here," He says, wrapping a belt around her waist. "Let me help." And he clasps it. He glances at Zelda and is about to ask her if she needs help but she easily mounts it. She combs her hair with her hand, tucking it to her right and exposes her slender neck.

"This I'll be fun huh?" Zelda asks, turning to Ilia. Link notices his long stare and looks away immediately.

"Yup." Ilia responds.

"Link, are you going to get on a horse?"

"No, no. I'll just stay in between you both and make sure Ilia doesn't fall."

"Okay," Zelda says. "Oh, you know Link." She calls out to him, resting her head against the pole. "Maybe we can go horseback riding together? I heard about your award winning horse." She winks, catching him off surprise.

"Oh sure. I'd love that." Eventually, the music to the ride turns on. The platform begins to move in circles while the horses move up and down, carrying them and moving the riders forward. Ilia and Zelda laugh until the ride slows to a stop and they continue to joke over which horse was faster. Zelda gets off the horse herself and Link helps Ilia down. The little girl runs to Zelda's side, clinging onto her arm until they leave the vicinity.

"Let's go to the spinning strawberries!" Ilia says loudly, dragging Zelda and running forward. Zelda follows behind quickly and when she notices Link's lag, she stops Ilia and grabs Link's hand before both were dragged to the spinning strawberries. Like the other two workers, he counts them as a family of three and placed them in their own separate strawberry booth with a single rider. Ilia chose to sit in between Zelda and Link.

"How old's your little girl?" The single rider asks Link and Zelda, hoping to kill time while the worker places people in other pods.

"She's seven but she's not ours." Zelda responds.

"Oh?"

"Just a friend we're taking care of." Link says.

"So are you both siblings then?" The rider points at Zelda and Link.

"No!" Both Zelda and Link say loudly.

"Oh." The rider says. "Got stuck with her on a date? I feel bad for you." Zelda couldn't respond, after all, she's the one who wants Ilia to tag along and she knew Link's disappointment. So she sat quietly, waiting for Link to say something.

"It's not bad." Link says. "She's only with us for a little while." Link says and smiles.

"Sorry, didn't mean to offend you." The rider says, looking away. "But if you guys are a couple, I suggest getting Anju's couple pie. Last year, my friend and I tried it out, we lied about being together, but anyways, it taste's really good. Its price value is good too."

"We'll try it. Thanks." Zelda says and everyone stops talking once they feel the ride shake into life.

"Alright this is it." Ilia says. "You have to spin it as fast as you can." She instructs and places her hands on the wheel. Zelda and Link follow and once the ride moves, Ilia's intention is carried out by Link's muscle. He is able to move it quickly and all of them, including the rider are able to get a laugh out of the experience. They continue to enjoy it's quick pace until they step out. Ilia and Link chatter about how they were the fastest strawberry but Zelda, her world continues to spin uncomfortably. She places a shaking leg on the stair and trips off but is caught by Link.

The young jokesters in line cheer for the couple and watch Link guide Zelda out of the ride. "Are you okay?" He asks, rubbing her back.

"Yes, just a little dizzy. After all, we were the fastest strawberry." She forces a smile and looks at the worried Ilia.

"We can sit for a while. You look sickly pale." Link says, placing a strong grip around her waist while his other hand held onto hers. He helps her on a bench and commands Ilia to protect her while he scavenges for some water.

"Sorry Ilia." Zelda says softly before placing a hand over her mouth. "We could be doing something right now but instead you have to stay here and watch me."

"It's okay Zelda!" Ilia protests. "This is my fourth best day at the fair! No, my third best day!" She corrects.

"Really? What's your second best day?" Zelda asks.

"Hm," Ilia thinks for a while. "That's the day when my dad and me went on so many rides. Grandma and grandpa were there too but they didn't really ride a lot."

"Oh, that must have been fun." Zelda smiles, placing a hand on top of the girl's head. "What was your first best day like?"

"That day was with my mom. I was too young to remember but looking at the pictures I must have had so much fun!"

"That's a memory to keep."

"I just hope I don't forget my mom. I only remember her sometimes." Ilia says.

"If you keep her close to your heart, your mind won't ever lose her." Zelda says. After some silence, they see Link approaching them. His chest rises rapidly as if he's finished running a mile.

"I," He says, having to stop and take a deep breath. "I got water and some Tylenol." He continues, forcing the words out of his lungs and hands her a Chap Stick size capsule.

"Thanks." She says, opening the lid and taking two pills. He quickly hands her an open water bottle and watches carefully as she gulps it down. "Alright, I'm ready to go on the next ride." Zelda says and stands but quickly topples back into the seat. "Sorry." She says to Ilia, examining her watch. "It's already near 4." Zelda informs them, trying to stop her frown.

"Aw, I can't believe it's already 4 o'clock!" Ilia pouts and hugs Zelda.

"Me neither but I'm sure your father is dying to spend time with you." Zelda's voice is quiet and comforting.

"Dying! Let's go then!" Ilia commands, grabbing onto Zelda and Link's hand and drags them to Bo's last known location. When they arrive, Bo is seated quietly on the bench with his hands clasped and his elbows rested on his knees. It looks like he's in deep thought but is interrupted by Ilia's warm hug. He looks up slowly before reciprocating her hug with more care and love.

"I'm sorry Ilia." Her father says softly. "I shouldn't have left you behind. I'm a failure as a father."

"No you're not!" Ilia says loudly, moving away from him. "You love me, you keep me safe and you give me food and shelter. And you're trying to work hard so everyone in the future is even happier." At a loss of words, Bo simply places a hand over his eyes, rubbing away the tears that escaped. Just beside Ilia, Zelda and Link encourage Ilia to hug her father. She does and it's long minutes before Bo is able to raise his head to look at the couple.

"Thanks for taking care of my daughter and making me realise that I should at least spend this day with her." He says, looking at Zelda.

"No problem. Like I said before, you won't be given days like these anymore. Cherish them. And here." Zelda says, taking a wad of tickets out of her wallet. She quickly counts them and hands them to Bo. "Use it to spend time with her." Zelda says, pushing it in his hand and lowers his other hand that had bills in it. "You can use that money for Ilia."

"Ha, alright." Bo says, stuffing it back in his pockets. "Thanks again." Then the man stands. "It's been a pleasure." He says then takes his daughters hand and leaves.

"Wow." Link comments after the two are far enough to not hear. "What did you say to him? And when?" He asks, looking at Zelda.

"I gave him a rant when I came back to get Ilia." Zelda says, keeping her eye on the father and daughter that smile and laugh. Link too turns to watch the family disappear into the crowd before saying something.

"Do you want to go to the big roller coaster now?" Link asks. Zelda sighs, exhaling a breath knowing that Ilia will be much happier from now on. She turns to Link and nods. On their way to the ride Link remembers the earlier scenario of her motion sickness. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yup, it's just spinning rides. Roller coasters are good for me."

In line, the two are quiet. It's as if they had exhausted all their possible topics. Zelda knew that talking about the past would be an endless conversation but she also knew how serious and uncomfortable it would get. Eventually they'd have to talk about Malon and she's not willing to talk about her just yet.

"You're really good with kids." Link says, moving forward in line.

"Ha, it must be my natural women instincts." Zelda jokes. "But yeah, fans come in different ages. My career really forced me to be talkative and empathetic. You know, you're not bad yourself." Link smiles softly.

"I'm not that good. To be honest, I could have been better but I was a little jealous." He mumbles, rubbing the back of his neck.

"It's fine Link. It's understandable." Zelda says and it isn't long until they're put into seats.

"I didn't say this before but I think you look really pretty, especially today." Link tells her after the bars are down.

"Thanks, you look really cute too." Zelda tells him. The two stare into each other's eyes but are interrupted by the ride's sudden movement. All thoughts are ignored and both of them raise their hands, shouting at the drops and holding on to the bars at the upside spins. After that, they began to chatter about the ride. They decide right away that they'd avoid the other ride: Spinovator, a machine that spins so fast that it pushes you against a wall with moving boards.

So the remaining tickets were used on booths and the two had to save two tickets for the Ferris wheel where the proposal plan would start. One specific booth had archery and Zelda who was somewhat familiar was able to hit the inner circle. A crowd forms around them once they notice the close and accurate hits, three times in a row. "I feel bad for you man, hope you don't mess this up." One guy says to Link while he accepts the bow and arrow from Zelda.

"Thanks." Link says to the guy. "I'll try not to." Worried and nervous in hopes to impress Zelda, he raises a shaky hand. He knows he needs to calm down but the stares of the crowd and the stare of Zelda doesn't help, plus the energetic commentary of the booth worker places a lot of pressure on him. He makes a quick prayer and in that instant, something took over him. His body is still and his hands begin to move on their own.

In the next moment when the arrow is released, Link exhales the breath that he had held. The crowd is dead silent, eyeing the arrow, as if they are a row of frogs watching a fly and Zelda, she is mesmerised by Link. He's serious and the determination is evident on his face. His hair is slightly pushed by the wind as the arrow is released. Mouths opened wide, the arrow hits dead center and the crowd goes wild.

"Two more hits like that and you can win our biggest prize." The elder says behind the booth, handing him another arrow.

"You should take the arrow off of the board." Link commands, his voice slightly deeper and more serious which caught Zelda's attention and made her very curious about this side of Link. The worker sucks his teeth and rolls his eyes.

"Cocky kid…" He mutters, taking the arrow off of the board. "Like you'd hit-" But he's stops when an arrow whizzes by and makes the hole in the center bigger. The crowd cheers and watches as the worker throws him one more arrow. He hopes that Link won't catch it but the boy's fast reflexes let him catch it easily with a simple step forward. "And this is your last one." The worker mutters and is even more doubtful of this hit. After all, these lucky fluke`s will have to end sometime but it didn`t and Link hit dead center again. In shock, the crowd is silent and it takes them a while to process the situation before they cheer loudly. They pat Link and compliment him before dispersing into their own ways.

The worker takes out a step stool to reach for the largest teddy bear in his stand. This never happened in his history of booth patrol but again, he is happy to see it go. "Do you want this in a bag?" He asks Link. Link turns to Zelda and nudges her to choose.

"Oh, yes please." She tells him, still frazzled by the events of earlier.

"Good job kid." The elder says, handing him the bag with a human sized teddy bear.

"Thanks." He responds, taking the bag and carrying it over his shoulder.

"I never knew you were so skilled in archery. How long have you been taking classes?" Zelda asks, suddenly feeling small beside Link.

"Believe it or not, I never had one class." He glances at Zelda and can see her shock. "It just came naturally, I don't know what happened. My hands began to move on their own and my body, at that moment, knew what to do."

"Maybe your past life was a professional archer." Zelda jokes.

"Maybe he is." Link teases. "And something tells me he was really good with a sword."

"Maybe he was a knight?"

"A knight that saved the princess." They look at each other and laugh.

123

"Wow, I can't believe it's already 6:50." Zelda says, looking up from her watch. "Are you sure we can still eat if the closing time is 7?" She asks.

"Yes. As long as we order before that."

"Then we'll have 5 minutes to eat."

"No, they'll leave it open they just won't be selling anything. We can spend the next hour sitting and eating. If we still have time before the proposal, we'll spend it in the fun house, it's free."

"Good plan." She says and can already see the community center. Upon entering the near empty building, they look to see if Anju is behind the pie booth but instead all they see is Grog. "Where's Anju?" Zelda asks Grog once they're near.

"I let her leave early so she can spend more time with Kafei." Grog says. "Anyways, anything I can get you guys? Couple's pie?" He teases, reaching under to get a box out.

"Yes." Link says, handing him the appropriate amount of money. "Thanks." He tells Grog as he takes the boxed pie from his hand. "Oh and can I ask you to keep this safe for me?" Link asks, showing the teddy bear in the clear bag.

"Sure, why not. I'll keep it in the van and you can get it tomorrow?" Grog asks, taking the bag.

"Yeah." Link says. "Thanks again."

"Yeah, yeah." Grog says, resting the bear beside the booth.

"Since when were you friends with Grog?" Zelda asks once they're far enough.

"Pft," Link thinks for a while. "A long time. He's a hard guy to understand but we're friends. Well, what do you want to eat?" Link asks Zelda as he stares at the leftovers in the already closing booths.

"I'd really like to try Maby's chicken and fries." Zelda says, staring at the red and orange striped booth.

"Alright, I'll go order." Link hands her the pie in the box. "Take this and find a seat." Zelda finds a nice table by the tall windows and looks at her watch. It's 7. She drums her fingertips on the table and observes Link carefully. His easy smile, his soft eyes and his seemingly vulnerable attitude. Would he survive in the city? Zelda wonders and tries to imagine him in the city but can't imagine him as a permanent citizen. How will this relationship work? A summer fling thing? Zelda frowns at the thought; she knows that she's much too emotional for that, specially towards Link.

"You okay?" Link's voice forces her out of thought and he's standing in front of the table. He sets the food down and sits across from her. "Hopefully you're not too tired for the proposal."

"No, I'm just deep in thought." She tells him, taking her food off his tray and begins nibbling on the fries.

"What about?" Link asks after a quick prayer.

"Ah, about life and stuff." She shrugs as she continues to eat. "About the city…" She adds in, watching for his reaction. For a second he's surprised but continues eating his pasta.

"Do you miss the city?" He asks slowly.

"The city, no. The people, yes. My friends and family, I feel accepted here but sometimes I feel lonely." She tells him. "There are people in the city who know me and appreciate me but here, sometimes I feel like a stranger being ignored." She shrugs, continuing to eat. "Well, what about you Link." She looks at him and watches his reaction. "What do you think of the city? Would you go?"

"I thought about it before." He tells her and Zelda's instantly struck with the thought of Malon. "Before, I was scared but now, I'm willing to go on an adventure."

"An adventure…" Zelda murmurs and nods her head. "But this place will always be your home…" She whispers, looking at the floor. "Won't it?" Link nods and continues to eat. And the city will always be my home, Zelda thinks, continuing to eat.

"Where's Edna anyways?" Link asks after some silence and already half-way through their food.

"Dunno." Zelda shrugs. "She left a note and said that she'll be with her friends but I haven't seen her at the booth where they sell knitted stuff. Which reminds me," She smiles at the thought of Anju. "I had to lie and tell Anju that I spent the last week knitting." Zelda laughs and Link contributes a wide smile. "I don't think she buys it 100%, after all, there's only a certain amount of knitting you can do that will prevent you from talking to your friend!"

"Kafei too had to come up with ridiculous excuses. Stuff that made him sound really involved in the community and that it's required as a mayor's son." Link says.

"Do you know a girl name Cremia?" Once the name touches Link's ear, he cringes and Zelda regrets bringing her up. It must have something to do with Malon, after all, it wouldn't be a surprise if Cremia and Malon were actually twins. He nods and forces a smile. "Never mind, it's alright."

"No, continue with what you were about to say and don't filter." He tells her with a genuine smile.

"Cremia and Malon got into a fight a long time ago and now their friends!" Zelda says quickly, trying to race through this topic.

"What?" Link's head snaps up.

"Cremia and Anju. They used to be best friends until Cremia told Kafei she liked him just as the two got together." Zelda says cautiously.

"Oh, right. Sorry, I thought you said- nothing. Forget it." Zelda bites her lip.

"No, tell me what I said." Zelda demands.

"You said Malon." Link tells her, playing with his fork and scooping up the leftover sauce on his plate. He raises the fork slowly and watches the sauce drip back onto his empty plate.

"Oh, I did?" Zelda says, trying to laugh. "Cremia and Malon look so a like. So..."

"I get it; I used to get them mixed up when I was younger." Link tells her.

"Do you still love her?" Zelda asks, looking Link straight in the eye. It's a wonder how he manages to stare back with such confidence.

"It's been four years. I thought about it a couple of times." Link starts and Zelda's heart pounds so loud that her ear drums ring. Her palm begins to sweat at the anticipation of the answer. If he says yes, she'll stand, thank him for the meal and leave. She'll find someone to cry to but if he says no… she can't think of him saying no, only a yes. "No." He says and her heart stops beating. "No, I don't love her anymore." Link says placing a hand on top of hers. "I'll admit, I thought she'd be the one and a long relationship is hard to just push aside. We planned on getting married, I got her a ring and despite our breakup, I told her to keep it." Link says, choosing to tell her everything. He can see the hurt in her eyes and holds onto her hand tightly, a hand that struggles to pull away. "If this relationship gets anywhere Zelda-," He stops and starts his words again. "I want this to be a serious relationship and I want to start fresh with no baggage from the past relationship so I'm going to be honest with you because I want to be with you." Zelda stops her struggling and lets her hand stay still.

"But," Zelda starts, chocking on a lump in her throat. "The city and the country. Where will we go after I leave?"

"Let's leave that to the future." He says, smiling. Ever so softly, Zelda places her other hand on top of the one he has over hers. She then raises it, holding it against her head and begins to think..

"I'm scared Link." She tells him, letting go of his hand. "I'm scared that I'm not over Daniel. I'm scared that we're only using each other to get over the other. I'm scared that we won't get anywhere and that we'll walk around in circles."

"I'm scared too." Link confesses. "I already found you and now, I don't want to lose you."

"Daniel and I have been together for nine years." She starts. "And I've known him for longer." And in those next hours, they brought up their past demons; their old baggage's and threw them out, in hopes of embracing freedom and the future.

123

His hand cradles her back, her hand on his waist. Her head rests on his shoulder, his eyes drawn to her. Their footsteps are in unison and their hearts are high above the ground after their very lengthy talk. "Wow, I'm kinda nervous now." Zelda tells him as they approach the light struck Ferris wheel. It's in clear view against the closed gaming booths, the near empty street and the dark sky.

"Just think how nervous Kafei must be." Link tells her with a smile. "He'll have to sing! And he doesn't sing." He laughs.

"You're right." Zelda says and eventually are close enough to see the short line up. Kafei and Anju included, and seeing the two, Zelda and Link leave their intimate setting, content with being in being beside each other. They join the line and Zelda giggles as she observes the way Kafei holds Anju.

"I can't wait for the fireworks." Anju tells Kafei.

"Actually," A couple behind Anju and in front of Zelda says. "The fireworks are moved-"

"Anju!" Zelda says loudly, pushing the couple aside to hug her friend.

"Zelda! I didn't see you there. What happened? You're so… energetic." Anju says, hugging her friend back. Zelda just continues to hold her tightly, spinning around slowly so her face can be seen by the couple. Both Kafei and Zelda signal them to be quiet while Link explains to them quietly that the girl to be proposed to is right here. The couple's anger towards Zelda's sudden push vanishes quickly and they apologize. Zelda eventually let's go of Anju and goes back to Link's side. "Alright." Anju says slowly. "What was that for?"

"That's for being an amazing best friend." Zelda tells her and winks. "But ignore me now, go back and cuddle with your man." She teases, causing the couple to blush but accept that invitation.

"Last spin." The man sitting in the operating system says, stopping people from joining the line. Once they're in their own cart, Zelda lets out a loud sigh.

"Nice save back there." Link tells her, laughing.

"I swear she must have some idea. Apparently five people congratulated her! Why would you do that? The proposal didn't happen yet!" She says loudly, rolling her eyes but her mood changes quickly once there on top. "It's so empty." Zelda says.

"Everyone's already at the beach." Link tells her.

"Poor Anju, I bet she thought the fireworks would be the highlight of the day." Zelda says, itching closer to Link. He doesn't say anything but rests an arm over the back of their seat and moves closer to Zelda. "Looks like they're down." Zelda says, looking below. Kafei steps out of their cart first before offering a hand for Anju, helping her down. "And she doesn't look happy." She laughs but stops when Link leans over her to see Anju.

"You're right." He says and turns to stare at Zelda. It's then that he realises how close he is to her. His eyes wander to her lips and quickly he sits back in his normal spot. The rest of the way down is quiet and when they're off the cart, Anju storms over to Zelda. The blonde raises her hands over her chest, ready for a strangle but instead receives a hug.

"The fireworks!" Anju groans. "They didn't appear. It was supposed to make everything romantic."

"There there." Zelda says, patting the girls back. "I'm sure that everything was romantic either way." Zelda tells her while nodding at Link and Kafei. She accepts the flashlight from the worker before hugging Anju back. 3, Zelda closes her eyes, 2, she squeezes Anju, 1, a loud whine erupts in the air that forces Anju to look up. The wheel is no longer blinking with lights, the walkway lamps turn off and no one can be seen in the darkness. There is a scream somewhere far and the sound of rushed feet wandering in the dark.

"Kafei?" Anju calls out and tries to break free from Zelda but Zelda holds her back.

"We don't want to get separated in the dark." Zelda says.

"You're right… I wonder where he is. He can't be that far." Anju says, clinging onto Zelda's arm.

"Look what I found." Zelda tells her, turning on the flashlight.

"Where did you find that?"

"Ugh. Under my cart seat, a worker must have dropped it in there during inspection."

"Oh…" Anju says, unable to register what was said properly. She's too observed with the current event. "This is so scary. The lights turn off and everyone's gone." Anju says, watching where the circle of light traveled. There's neither a shadow nor person in sight. "Let's go to the community center. We can sit there until the lights come back on."

"The community center?" Zelda says and cringes. "No, let's go over here." She says, trying to drag her friend the opposite direction but gets opposition.

"Why?" Anju asks, ripping her arm from Zelda's grasp. "Let's go! I'm sure that people are there."

"But what if it's locked?" Zelda asks, shoving the light towards Anju.

"Relax, I have the key." Anju tells her, taking Zelda's hand and walking towards the tall building.

"Can I see the key?" Zelda asks, raising the flashlight to follow Anju's hand and pulls out the small key, reflecting the bright light from the flashlight. She examines it carefully before spinning the light to a random area before releasing a blood curdling scream. She drops the flashlight and pulls her hand away from Anju to cover her ears as she closes her eyes.

"Zelda?!" Anju calls out for and hugs her. "What happened?" Anju asks, digging her head into Zelda's shoulder in fear of looking.

"Sorry, I thought I saw a shadow hiding in one of the booths and it had red eyes but it was just a reflection of… of the flashlight against a red blub." Zelda explains, slowly moving her hand over the fallen key. She takes it and moves it into her pocket while Anju stands.

"Well, I dropped the key." Anju says, taking Zelda's hand and helps her stand. "Help me look for it." She tells her. Zelda moves her flashlight around and decides to end the search after a few minutes.

"It's too dark, we're wasting our time." Zelda tells her, itching to get to the pathway.

"Your right." Anju says in shallow breaths. "We can check out the center and I'm sure someone has to be in there."

123

"It's locked!" Anju shouts, tugging onto the door handle. "My car keys are in here! What do we do?" Anju asks, pushing her hair away from her face. A desperate idea pops in her mind; she turns to the door and begins banging her hands against the glass, screaming for attention.

"Whoa, stop." Zelda demands and raises Anju's fists. "It doesn't look like anyone's in there."

"There has to be at least one person!" Anju screams, struggling to get out of Zelda's grasp. "Everyone can't just disappear!" Anju tells her, continuing to bang on the door. "Oh. I got it; we can walk to the inn from here. It'll take a while but we'll make it." Anju says, already walking away from the community center.

"No, what if Kafei still looking for you?" Zelda asks, running in front of Anju to stop her. "What if we go to the beach? I heard that the younger workers have an after party there. Some of them are probably there and Kafei might be too."

"Maybe you're right." Anju says, not pulling back as Zelda takes her hand. "But there has to be a rational reason why there's suddenly no one!"Anju wipes away a couple of tears that were shed during her small panic attacks. "If this is some kind of prank, Zelda," Anju glares at her friend.

"Why would this be prank?" Zelda grins, glad that she's able to see the entrance of the path, a small opening in the forest.

"I don't know. You told me that people in the city have these shows where they do pranks on celebrities!"

"Trust me Anju. I'd rather spend my time doing something productive instead of planning a prank." Anju clings onto Zelda tighter as they enter the forest. The darkness causes the branches and bushes to form shapes that trigger fear. However, Anju relaxes when they are on the zigzag bridge over a pond connected to the sea by a small stream. The moon is out, providing strong light below on the girls.

"Whoa, hold this for a second." Zelda says and hands her the flashlight. Anju takes it with hesitant hands and is about to ask what happened until Zelda turns around with an instrument in hand. "It's a guitar!"

"Okay. This is defiantly a prank. I'm going home." Anju says, turning around.

"No, Anju it's not." She grabs onto the girl's hand but Anju pushes her back.

"This isn't funny Zelda!" Anju screams. "You're scaring me."

"I promise this isn't a prank." Zelda tells her. "If it is, you can beat me up."

"And you'll let me feed you until you get fat." Anju jokes, wiping her tears.

"I promise that too."

"Pinky swear." Anju says, raising a fist and shows her pinky to Zelda. Zelda does the same and they close their pinky, shake on it a few times before Zelda puts the guitar strap over her shoulder.

"And look at this. A cordless mic, what a coincidence." Zelda tells her, handing her the microphone that was in a box. She hands it to the reluctant Anju who accepts the microphone. "Hey, do you remember this song?" Zelda asks; tapping a fist against her guitar strings.

"Yes." Anju says and follows Zelda as she continues to walk down the bridge. "It's the song we wrote." She says into the mic and looks at it funny because she's able to hear herself through speakers but isn't sure where.

"Then why don't you sing along? You'll be the girl and I'll be the guy." Anju pouts but goes along with it. She flashes the light at Zelda and waits for her mouth to open but instead of hearing her broken voice she hears another familiar one.

"_Do you hear me? I'm talking to you._" In shock, Anju raises a hand over her mouth.

"That's-" Anju whispers and looks at Zelda. Zelda nods and nudges her to sing along.

"_Under the open sky, oh my, baby, I'm trying." _The voice continues to sing, though he can be heard, he can't be seen. So they continue to step forward and Anju sings the familiar song into her mic without any hesitation, all fear has left her.

"_I feel you whisper across the sea, I keep you with me in my heart. You make it easier when life gets hard._" And soon their voices blend into the chorus. Anju still can't see Kafei but she continues to walk down the bridge, focusing on what's in front of her, hoping to see the shadow of the her lover. She can't stop smiling and loses concentration when she sees candle lights floating on the river below.

A hand touches hers and Anju whips her hand to stare into Kafei's brown eyes. Lamps on the bridge finally light up and he guides her down the bridge until they're on the other side. Paper lanterns tied to the tries hang low near Mido, who's playing the piano and Link drumming a constant beat. Kafei stops her walking and spins her around before pulling her close to him. "_I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend, lucky to have been where I have been, lucky to be coming home again_."Anju smiles widely and the two begin to dance around each other. Zelda stands near Mido and continues playing into the mic stand. "_I'm lucky we're in love in every way, lucky to have stayed where we have stayed, lucky to be coming home someday."_ Before he goes into the expected verse, Kafei takes her mic and leans down to kiss her. She's surprised at first but smiles against his kiss before kissing back. She eagerly raises her hand to hug him but he pulls back quickly. She opens her eyes and again, it's dark and she's reminded of the flashlight in her hand.

She turns it on and is ready to flash it to Zelda but only sees the abandoned instruments. She sighs and continues to walk down the path but this time, she's excited. Eventually she sees someone covered in glow sticks. She walks to the person and shines the light on them, it's Saria and she's holding a gift bag in hand.

"Saria? You're part of this too?" Anju asks as she nears the girl. Saria simply smiles and notions her to take the gift. "Can I look in it?"

"No, look at it at the end of all this."

"Alright…" Anju says, smiling and resting the strings on her arms. "So do I keep walking?"

"Not yet," Saria says, clearing her throat. "Anju." The red head raises an eye. "You can turn off your flashlight from here onwards." Anju does as she's instructed and further waits. "Anju you have been a really good friend and a caring one at that. You're gentle and sweet, and you always make time for those important to you no matter how busy you are."

"Thanks Saria." Anju says, hugging her.

"Let's go." Saria tells her and together they walk down the path in silence. A million things are running through Anju's mind and not one of them suspects it to be a proposal. As they walk down further, they see another person covered in glow sticks. Anju's about to turn to look at Saria but she's not beside her and instead is standing on the opposite side of the other mysterious person. When she's close enough to recognize who it is, Anju covers her mouth in shock; it's Cremia. Just like Saria she has a gift bag and hands it to Anju before continuing.

"Anju, we've been friends for a long time. It's sad that things came in between us but even then, I know I deserved worst yet still you had such a kind heart towards the situation. You're the most sincere sweetest person I know and don't ever change." And before Anju can hug her, Cremia puts a hand on her arm and singles her to keep going. This time, instead of standing beside Anju, they're behind her, allowing this moment to just be hers.

The next person hits home and Anju burst into tears. She runs towards the family chubby shadow and hugs her mother. Aikya pats her daughters back, holding her for a long time while reassuring her with kind words. Eventually Anju steps back, more composed but still in tears as she takes the gift from her mother. "I'm very blessed to have you as a daughter. You work so hard and you always put on a strong front," Her mother starts off, getting teary herself. "You try to act strong for me because you don't want me to feel any worst that you do. I can't ask for another daughter, the first time I raised you, your father and I knew that we were very blessed. I love you dear." Anju's finds herself hiccupping and again she hugs her mother.

"I love you too mom." Anju says, resting her head against Aikya's shoulder. Eventually Aikya notions Anju to let go and continue walking down the path. During that short walk to the next person, Anju calms down and looks back at the three behind her. The next person makes her laugh, his wide belly and thin legs make it easy for her to recognize who it is. She never imagined seeing him wear glow sticks. She hugs Mutoh and accepts the gift he's carrying. "You were always such a gentle girl." Mutoh says, rubbing his moustache down. "And I'm so glad that we're a family. I used to imagine how it would be like to have a daughter and its come true. No father could ever wish for anyone else and I'm so glad that you've come into my life." This time, Mutoh initiates the hug and kisses her cheek before joining Aikya and the other two behind.

"Thanks you guys." Anju says, turning around before continuing her walk. Her arms are covered in strings from the gifts and she wonders how much more presents there are. The next person is easily recognizable because of the height of his haircut. "Grog." She acknowledges with a smile. He hands her the gift before taking a deep breath. He clears his throat, sways on his toes and runs a finger over his nose before starting. "Anju, we never knew each other before." Grog says, his face turning red. Never had he done anything like this before. "But I'm also glad I do. You're a really sweet girl and I hope we can act more like siblings, the more mushy stuff siblings do. We can still fight but less severely." He ends quickly and is surprised when Anju hugs him. He hugs back and for the first time, in a long time, he's happy and at peace. When she lets go, he rubs the back of his neck, kicks the ground and points to the path.

"Thanks big brother." She teases and watches him join the group behind her. From now, her timid walk has become confident with a skip in each step. The next person makes her laugh, again someone she never imagined wearing glow sticks is wearing them. He's short and thin, his wild hair is pointed up and he joins Anju's laugh when she's close enough. She hugs Kafei's father, Dotour, and steps back to accept his gift.

"Anju, Anju, Anju." He says, smiling widely. "Oh my, what was my first impression of you?" He grins, rubbing his hand under his chin as he thought. "I thought you were the perfect girl for Kafei." He says, opening his arms widely, causing Anju to laugh. "You listened and placed Kafei first. You were there for my son in every situation. You know, Kafei wasn't much of a talker and was a shy kid. It surprised me that time when he brought home such a beautiful girl. You changed my son for the better, he's more involved and he listens instead of pretending to listen and he's inspired to change because of you. So, I really hope you say yes and here's all my blessings showered onto you." It finally dawns on her that this could possibly be, most likely, a proposal and now she's more than excited to see Kafei. Both Dotour and Anju share a hug and like the others, he joins them and watches Anju continue her walk.

The next person makes Anju cringe, in a good way. She's ready for her loud voice booming in the air and her exaggerated way of talking. It's Aroma, Kafei's mother and as expected Aroma calls Anju with a loud voice. "My dear girl, let me take a good look at you." She says, raising her hand under Anju's cheek and turns her head from side to side. "You're gorgeous like always." She says, leaning in to kiss Anju's cheek. "Now take this." She says, holding up the gift bag. "So you're Kafei's one, hm? I couldn't be any happier. The first time, I admit, I didn't like you because I thought you were stealing my baby boy away from mama. And all he ever talked about was you and it did get on my nerves but I can't imagine him with anyone else. You're both perfect for each other and I know you'll be happy." Aroma then places hands on her shoulders. "You both have your ups and downs but I know you'll survive any struggle. The first time you two had an argument, he cried! And I don't think I've ever seen my boy cry for anything so that's how I knew you were the one." Again she hugs Anju tightly, squeezing the girl against her chest and it's only when Dotour tells his wife to stop, does she stop. "Go along dear." Aroma winks, joining her husband's side.

The next person, Anju runs to hug. It's one of her co-works, Sabrina. The black haired girl hugs back and gives her a present. "Anju, you know I've gone through a lot of bosses and when you hired me, I was more than shocked. I thought you'd only appear sweet than later, shout and mock me because of my bad working history but I was wrong. You're the most empathetic, hard-working, caring boss and friend anyone could ever ask for and it's my only wish that you'll continue to be happy in your life." And the two share a long hug before Anju continues to walk. This time, the air is sweet of salt and she knows she's near the end of her path. Perhaps the last person will be Kafei? She longed to see him and her heart ached every time she thought of him but alas, the last person is not Kafei but her long time best friend.

"Zelda." Anju acknowledges, shaking her head at her friend. Zelda laughs and hands her the giant bouquet. "I should have known something was up." She tells Zelda. "No one knits enough to not be able to spend time with their BFF." Anju teases. "And Kafei always made time to spend time with me but his reasons were more believable than yours." Zelda sticks her tongue out and laughs.

"Are you going to let me talk or what?"

"Yes, go ahead. Shower me with affections." Anju says, raising her head to look more smug.

"Anju, I think we were destined to know each other, sometime in our lives. Who'd believe a country girl and a city girl being best friends? And meeting by both being lost in town? Coincidence? I think not. The universe destined us to meet and I can't be anymore happier with the goddesses plan. You're my best friend and you always put people first, so much so, that it kind of frustrates me because you won't tell me when you're hurting while I'm hurting. We can hurt together and laugh together. You're so sweet and loveable, hardworking and you don't let anyone mess with you or your friends. Anyways, I love you and I hope the rest of your life is filled with happiness… beside your man." Zelda winks, hugging her awkwardly because the gifts separate them. "Now, before you continue." Zelda says, letting go of her and looks her straight in the eye. "Your last gift is at the end of the road. Just at that turn." Zelda says, pointing at the curve where light seems to spew out of. "Now go and get him." Zelda winks, slapping her friends butt. Anju laughs and continues down the path.

The smell of the salty beach is more evident and she can hear quiet chatters. When she turns the corner, her mouth opens wide with shock. A row of people on each end hold sparklers high in the air. The yellow dust spray into the sky and fall down onto the ground, they cheer and wave the sparklers high in the air. The group of friends and family behind Anju walk past her with sparklers in their hands and her eyes follow where they are going. They block her path from continuing and this time a burst of voices in harmony hit her ears. Her eyes wander to the choir on the beach, swaying with the beat. She laughs, trying to stop herself from crying. The people beside her begin clapping and they too, sway with the beat.

"_Her eyes, her eyes make the stars look like they're not shining." _The familiar voice leaves the speakers. She continues to walk down the path until the road block. Her family members and closes friend tease her, dancing around her while the song continues. "_I know, I know, when I compliment her she won't believe me. And it's so, it's so, sad to think that she don't see what I see._" Anju continues to laugh, her eyes watching her family members dance around her with sparklers in hand. Aroma bumps her hips towards Anju and pushes her towards a body. She looks up and sees Kafai's brown eyes. "_When I see your face, there's not a think that I would change. Cause you're amazing, just the way you are." _He takes her hand and guides her down the path, still staring at her and bursts into the chorus. Her feet stumble as they enter the sand. He let's go of her hand and has her stand alone in the center of the crowd that continue to dance and sing around her. The choir begins to quiet down for the repeat of the choir. "_When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change because you're amazing, just the way you are._ _And when you smile, the whole world stops and stares for a while. Girl you're amazing… just the way you are…"_ The choir continue singing without Kafei but quietly.

Anju can no longer control the tears going down her face, and she has difficultly balancing the bouquet on her arm while holding a hand over her mouth. "Anju," He starts off. "You're amazing just the way you are and I can't imagine myself being with anyone other than you." He presses his head against her. "Now for your last gift." He parts with her and fumbles to get the small box out of his pocket. Despite knowing what will happen next, Anju is frozen in surprise and shock. Her heart overflows with love as she watches him get down on one knee. He opens the box, revealing a silver ring crowned with three small diamonds. "Anju. Will you be willing to spend the rest of your life with me?" She's already nodding, and he grins, trying to talk a little faster to ask the next question. "Will you marry me?"

She moves her hand away from her mouth, nodding furiously and repeating yes a million times. Kafei takes the ring out of the box and slips it on her hand. The crowd goes wild, jumping up and down and cheers for the couple. He stands and can't help but smile, he leans down to kiss her and the choir begin to go into soft la's. They continue to kiss, whispering lovely affirmations in each other's ear until a loud noise erupts in the air and an explosion is heard. Anju and Kafei stop kissing and instead, hold each other as they watch the fireworks in the sky create beautiful shapes. "So," Kafei starts off. "Did the fireworks make everything more romantic?" He teases and she can't find the words to say.

It's when the fireworks are over, does everyone disperse. Some go to the bonfire, some under the tiki bar, many go to congratulate Anju and Kafei and the few go home.

"Congratulations." Zelda tells Anju and hugs her closely. "I'll talk to you later alright?" Zelda says, allowing Anju's other friends to chatter with her. Zelda walks into the tiki bar and approaches her grandmother. Edna hugs her and exclaims how proud she is of Zelda. It's only been five days but Edna looks significantly thinner and weaker. Zelda's about to comment on her appearance but a warm hand touches her back and she spins around.

"Dad!?'" Zelda exclaims, hugging the large man. He easily picks his daughter off the ground before setting her down again. "And mom!" Zelda says, hugging the woman behind her father. "What? And Impa?" Zelda says, hugging the tall woman behind her mother. "What are you guys doing here?" Zelda asks and sits down with them.

"The bill's taken care off. We sent you e-mails and called you but you hardly picked up. So we decided to make it into a surprise instead." Daphnes says, filling a cup with water and finishes it within a few gulps. "Wow, I'm glad you're having so much fun here." He says, patting his daughters head.

"Dad…" She whines with a big smile.

"Zelda." Dalta calls for her daughter. Zelda looks at her mother, feeling a little awkward because it's been a while since they've talked. "Looks who's coming your way…" She teases. Zelda's eyes wonder over the crowd, still around Anju and there she can see Link approaching with Mido and Saria.

"Hey Zelda." Mido greets. "I propose a beat up plan for Kafei."

"Why?" She asks.

"Cause now every girl will want a proposal like that." Mido responds, sighing.

"Not every girl." Zelda says but receives a funny look from Saria. "Alright, most girls will want a proposal like that but not every girl."

"Ah, whatever. Anju deserves it and I'm just glad those two are happy. So, these your parents?" Mido asks, looking at the large man and the petit woman.

"Yes, this is my dad Daphnes and my mom, Dalta. And this is my good friend and bodyguard Impa."

"Whoa a body guard?" Mido asks, raising his eyebrows. "Can't believe you need one but anyways, nice to meet you all." Mido says, offering a hand. They both shake, followed by Link than Saria. "If you're wondering where Anju and Kafei are, they're by the bonfire, dancing and stuff."

"That's alright. Anju and I plan on talking later." Zelda tells him but her eyes are on Link who's conversing with both her parents. She's caught off surprise when he stares back and she looks away quickly, she can feel her face warm.

"Zelda." Link calls out to her. She looks up and tries to act innocent of his conversation with her parents. "Care to go on a walk with me?" He asks, offering his hand to her. She takes it and jumps off the stool, ignoring her family and friends whooping. Link and Zelda continue to walk away, near the shore, past the bonfire where they see Anju and Kafei dancing.

"They're so happy." Zelda tells him, moving her hand so it's on his waist. He places his hand over her shoulder and feels her goosebumps.

"Are you cold?" He asks her, releasing her and takes off his short sleeved hoodie.

"It's alright Link, you'll get cold." She tries to refuse when she notices his simple white shirt underneath but he places his hoodie over her head. He then raises her arms so it goes through the arm hole and she remains still, like a child being dressed by their parent. It's much bigger than she had expected and ran past her romper. He puts his arm over her shoulder and pulls her close.

"Just stay by my side, you'll warm me up." He says as they continue to walk down the shoreline.

"I saw you talking to my parents." Zelda tells him.

"Yeah, do you think it's too early?" He blushes.

"No, well, I don't know. In television, it'll be deemed as too early but Daniel has known my parents for a long time before we dated and he's the only guy I dated, so, no I don't think it's too early. I think it's really cute." She says, leaning against him.

"Like I said, Zelda. I want this relationship to work." He says. "If my parents were still alive, I'd love to introduce them to you."

"Your parents?"

"Yes. My dad died right when I was born so I didn't know him. My mom, however, died after a few years so I remember her. It's scary sometimes to think that I'll forget who she was as a person and how she looked like. The first time I was sent to the orphanage, I was in denial and waited in the foyer for her." He tells her. Zelda places her hands over his waist to hug him. "It was Mido who told me the truth. He said it in such a blunt way that he got in trouble but since then, I stuck with him." Link shrugs. "I was mainly quiet and he was just loud and obnoxious but he soon became my family."

"Well hopefully." Zelda starts, stopping him from walking any further. "Hopefully, you'll be part of mine." She whispers, her hand over his chest and his face inches away from hers.

"I'm sorry Zelda." Link whispers back, his breath hitting her lips. "But can I kiss you?" His eyes begin to close.

"Yes you can." And gently, he tucks his hand under her chin and their lips touch. If only the fireworks turned on then, Zelda jokes in her head and both part ways. They continue to look into each other eyes, their lips still feeling tingly. In the silence they both begin to laugh.

"Sorry, am I a bad kisser?"

"Nope." Zelda says, going back to have her arms around him. He places his hand on her shoulder and pulls her in. "You're good." She giggles. "So." Zelda says, her sudden mood change, ruining their moment. "I told you everything about Daniel. What happened to you and Malon?" Link groans but smiles.

"Well…" He starts off.

* * *

I'm done. This is it. OMG, finally. Sorry dudes, summer hit me like a lazy river. The proposal was inspired by my friends promposal. Hehehe. Anyways. Peace. Any concerns and mistakes. Comment and review. Anyways, this was an explosion of romance, so balm balm, my cupids arrow hits you. 20k words worth of romance.

2 more chapters left! WOO, finally.

Songs used:

Lucky – Jason Mraz

Just the way you are –by Bruno mars preferably by Felix Tsang's acapella version.

God bless, thanks for the reviews, favourites and follows!

* * *

**Bonus part:**

Link and Zelda laugh at a retelling of Malon's first time in the city. "We should turn back." Zelda says, looking behind at the large bonfire that now looks like a small campfire. Just as they turn, they can hear shuffles and Zelda presses closer to Link. "What was that?" She whispers.

"I don't know, I heard it too." Link tells her. They both look at a group of rocks, where sounds of chatter can be heard.

"Is that Saria?" Zelda whispers, looking at the green hair.

"No…"

"That's a Mohawk… and the only person who has a Mohawk is-"They both turn to look at each other, knowing full well who the male is but is curious who the female could be. They inch a little closer but stop when a loud moan followed by 'Julie' is heard.

"Let's get out of here." Link says, grabbing Zelda's hand. The two try to hold in their laugh as they run back to the bonfire, hoping that those two did not hear them or see them.


End file.
